


Shadows of the Night: Darkness Remains

by afallenblackrose



Series: Shadows of the Night [2]
Category: Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon | Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-06-26
Updated: 2016-08-13
Packaged: 2018-07-18 07:31:47
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 38,750
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7305394
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/afallenblackrose/pseuds/afallenblackrose
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It’s been four months since Usagi vanquished the Darkness from Tokyo, but she is starting to suspect that Mamoru isn’t truly healed. Is Tokyo in more danger? And why won’t Endymion turn back to the Light? Read to find out!</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Trouble Is

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [In Darkness](https://archiveofourown.org/external_works/209578) by AngelONight. 



> So unlike the stories I've been posting on AO3, this one is NOT completed over on ff.net. This one is still a work in progress and I'm not sure when I'll be updating with *new* chapters, because these characters are awfully quiet. So, apologies.

_I could slip so easily into you if I let myself go_

_I could let my wildest dream come true but you’ll never know_

_How it’s going to wind up in the end_

_Will we be lovers or not even friends?_

_Trouble is I like the taste too much and I can’t think straight_

_People change and will you still be here after today?_

_Trouble is I think I could win or lose it all_

_I don’t know which way to fall_

_~ Trouble Is ~ Allison Iraheta_

* * *

 

Her naked back was turned towards him, and he couldn’t help but let his eyes roam over that expanse of skin that she was showing. Well, her back wasn’t completely naked, but it might as well be considering that the black bra that she was wearing could be easily removed and fairly quickly if he remembered correctly from his memories of three years ago. Besides, who knew that she actually owned a black bra? That thought alone puzzled him, and made him question everything that she had told him from the very beginning. However, his mind wasn’t too preoccupied at the moment to have his hands reach out and begin to caress the soft skin. The action alone caused goose bumps to appear on her skin, which turned him on even more. He pulled her backwards so that her skin was flush with his chest. Instant contact, instant heat. His hands still roamed over her curves, thanking those above for gifting him this absolute angel.

It had been four months since Mamoru had “turned back” to the side of Light, and it had only been three until things between Usagi and him had returned to how it should have been all those years ago when they realized their true identities. They were together, but what Usagi didn’t realize was that things weren’t as they appeared to be. Somehow in that final battle, four months ago, when Usagi had thrusted the sword through the both of them and “killed” them, the light of the Silver Crystal didn’t have the chance to heal Endymion. By that point, he had recovered the Golden Crystal and it had healed him instead. Causing the Darkness that was still in his soul to remain. But he didn’t falter at this information. He now knew the lengths that Serenity would go to to make sure that he returned to her side and wouldn’t turn to Darkness. Knowing this information he used his crystal to cloak the Darkness that was within him and made her believe that he was Mamoru again. She had been so sure that Endymion had vanished, that there wasn’t any Darkness remaining in his soul, that she had no qualms about giving herself to him. The day she had was the best day in Endymion’s life. The one thing that he had desired and tried to covet over the years, he had finally gotten.

Serenity was his.

**_*Flashback*_ **

_It was another one of those afternoons. Rain was falling steadily onto his windows and Serenity was curled up on the sofa, a textbook open in her lap. There was a yellow highlighter in her hand and her reading glasses were perched on her nose. Endymion hadn’t even known that she wore reading glasses. Hell, he hadn’t even known that while she had lived in Los Angeles for three years she had tried to live a normal life without any Senshi, Light and Darkness drama. She had graduated high school and had been attending college for two years. She had been halfway through her first term of her sophomore year when she had finally decided she had to come back and fight against the Darkness. After a few days to take a break from that battle, Usagi knew that her life was no longer meant for Los Angeles. Since everything was set back to how it was supposed to be, she moved back to Tokyo and transferred to Tokyo University. She had been catching up on the work that she missed and she had been doing it at his place every afternoon._

_Today was another one of those afternoons, and Endymion couldn’t help but stare at his princess. It was taking all of his will power not to take her right there and then. But he had to remember that he was supposed to act like he was no longer Endymion. He was supposed to be the high moraled Mamoru Chiba, who respected Usagi. He’d only been pretending for three months, but it was already growing tiresome. He stretched and yawned, his muscles rippling, as if in agreement with his thought. Serenity looked up at him with a quirked brow, which only made the fire in his stomach burn more. Did she have any idea how much control it was taking him to keep himself at bay? Of course she didn’t, he scoffed, because if she did, they wouldn’t have been this_ cozy _. There would have been a major battle taken place in this apartment. Well, he took in his raging hormones that he was fighting, a bigger more physical battle._

_“You know you don’t have to baby sit me,” she commented. Her eyes drifted down to her textbook and she highlighted another line. She looked back up at him. “This must be boring for you, just watching me study.” He didn’t say anything and continued watching her, a smirk showing up on his face. He didn’t remember her being such a studious person before. In this lifetime, she had always complained about the boring act and had the grades to prove it, if he recalled correctly. But she had no idea how not boring watching her study was for him. The fact that he would rather be studying certain places of her, well that was just a minor detail._

_“It’s not boring for me at all,” he replied. “Besides, I have a ton of time to make up for.” Oh, how the lies fell so easily out of his mouth. She pursed her lips as if she knew that he was lying, which worried him for a second before he saw her turn her gaze back to the open book in her lap. He didn’t remember what it was that she was studying; even though she had told him the first time she had come over here to do her homework. But he wasn’t really paying attention. He ran his fingers through his hair, an action that caught his beloved’s attention._

_She sighed and closed the textbook with a slam. Endymion watched all of this with interest. Had she tired of studying so soon? Or was she finally realizing it pointless to study when her future was already decided for her? She stretched out, her shirt riding up slightly, revealing the smallest patch of creamy skin. Her mouth was opened in a perfect ‘O’ as she yawned. He had to hold back a groan of desire as his thoughts turned into a very familiar territory for him. But as he continued to act like the good moraled Mamoru, they would only remain thoughts. To say that Endymion was sexually frustrated was an understatement. He had been waiting too long for her, even though he had her now, he couldn’t do what he wished._

_“Mamoru?” Her angelic voice rang out, distracting him from his thoughts. He turned his gaze back to her, surprised to find her standing so close to his seat at the kitchen bar. “You look stressed. Is everything okay?”_

No _, he answered in his head. He was not okay, and the stress she was seeing was his pent up frustrations from keeping up this horrible Light charade. But he needed a new plan before he could drop the act. That was the other problem with this stupid masked act. The battle four months ago had almost ended the world. It had almost caused him to lose Serenity twice, as well. But he did lose something. All of the Shitennou and the Senshi had turned back to Light, making him question if the Darkness had even taken its true hold on the eight of them. Everything that he had worked so hard for had fallen to ruin._

_“Everything is fine,” he replied looking at her with his deep azure blue eyes. “But what about you, Buns? Is everything okay?” His voice sounded so sincere._

_“Yes, everything is fine, I’m just annoyed,” she said walking away from him and back to her textbook. “I should probably go. I can tell that you’re bored, just watching me study.” Endymion didn’t say anything, knowing that he didn’t want her to go. But what could he say that would make her stay?_

_“I’d rather you didn’t go,” he whispered, his voice huskier than he had intended it to be. She looked up at him, surprise written on her face. He knew that she recognized the tone from the many times he had tried to seduce her over the years, but that was not his intent. Well, not really. “It’s a major storm out there. You’d be safe here.” The lies kept coming out of his mouth. Her head turned to the window, watching as the raindrops continued to fall steadily and at a faster pace than before. A quick flash of lightning lit up the room and clap of thunder was not far behind. It was a sign to him of how much Serenity had changed, because there was a time not so long ago that a thunderstorm would have sent her cowering into his arms. But she stood there calmly and watched the rain. He continued watching her, but decided that he could take no more. He got up from his seat and made his way toward her. At his approach she turned around._

_“I guess I better wait out this storm,” she said. He only nodded, as he cupped her face in his hands. Her eyes didn’t widen in surprise or fear like he was used to. No, they locked with his, almost as if she knew what he was about to do. As if, he couldn’t help but muse, she had been expecting him to do this. Well, it was about time the feisty side of his princess showed. He lowered his lips onto hers, which she graciously accepted and kissed him back. He tried to keep the years of lust at bay, but it was a hard battle, one that he knew he was about to lose. His hands travelled down to her waist and pulled her closer to him. She sighed into the kiss, only fueling him on._

_Eventually, they broke apart to catch their breath. The lusty look in her eyes surprised him and he wondered if she had intended…he trailed off as he remembered the times he had seduced her and when she had broken free, it was only because he was using the power of Darkness. Since he was now cloaking it, she should be more than willing. He smiled at her and she blushed in response. His hands trailed along her waist and under her shirt. She shuddered at his touch and he continued his exploits. His lips found hers once again, and this time he ran his tongue over the bottom lip and she opened her mouth for him. Their tongues danced, and soon they had to break away again to catch their breath. When he looked at her again, he knew what he had to do._

_“Usako,” his tone was husky again. “Are you sure?” He couldn’t believe he was asking this, but he knew that if she continued to believe he was Mamoru he had to ask this. Her answer took forever, but in reality it was only a few minutes. She didn’t even vocalize her answer, just a simple nod of her head. He wanted to scream in triumph, but he let himself kiss her deeply once more as he picked her up bridal style and took her to his room._

_He laid her on his bed, before he carefully placed himself on top of her. The kissing resumed only this time it was more heated, as they both knew what was to happen. Her fingers found their way under his shirt and he pulled himself away to remove his clothing. When he returned, he was fully bare and he watched as Serenity drank him in. Endymion let his fingers dip below her shirt again, but this time he pulled the hem of it upwards and she sat up to help him remove her shirt. Long expanses of milky white skin were revealed to him as the fabric was removed. Then there was her chest. He had seen this all before, but seeing it again, made him groan in want. Her voluptuous breasts were covered in the simplest white lace bra, which almost appeared see through. His fingers drifted to her jeans, wondering if her panties matched…. He felt himself harden as he unbuttoned and unzipped her jeans and slid them off._

_They matched._

_He brought himself back to her awaiting lips and kissed them hard enough that the kiss took her breath away. His hands made quick work of her bra and he tossed it to the floor. Their breathing became labored and Serenity was nearly gasping. It brought a smile to his face as he continued ravishing her senses. His lips left hers and travelled down her neck to her breasts. He began suckling one and massaging the other, causing Serenity to moan in pleasure. Endymion was taking it slow, knowing that if he wasn’t careful, his control would slip and she would realize that he wasn’t her precious Mamoru. But there was only so much he could do before he lost his mind._

_His hands had minds of their own as they drifted down to her thighs and separated them. He knew that he should pleasure her thoroughly first, since it was her first time, but he couldn’t wait. Endymion positioned himself just so, her legs opening wider to accommodate his size. He looked down at her, and saw that she was staring up at him through hooded eyes._

_“This is going to hurt,” he whispered. She only nodded her head, almost telling him that it was okay. Taking a deep breath, he pushed forward, only faltering for a second when he felt her barrier and then he pushed through it, silencing Serenity’s scream of pain with his lips. He stayed as still as he possibly could, knowing if he moved it would only cause her more pain. But it was hard. He was finally claiming what was rightfully his and she was as tight as he remembered from a thousand years ago. It felt right._

_He was finally home._

**_*End of Flashback*_ **

It was a wonderful moment, and they had been inseparable ever since. He had asked her to move in with him. More because he didn’t want Serenity to leave his side ever again and because he wanted to always wake up next to her in his bed. Endymion was pulled out of his thoughts when Serenity moved out of his embrace to resume looking for her shirt. He protested loudly and made another attempt to pull her back to him. But she evaded him.

“Mamoru,” she whined. “Come on. You know I’m supposed to be meeting up with the girls in ten minutes.” She picked up her matching black long sleeved shirt and was about to pull it on, when he snatched it away, throwing it back on the floor. She glared at him, but it contained no anger. If anything she was just annoyed at his constant raging libido. “Mamoru…” she warned, her tone strict, something that he couldn’t help but laugh at.

“Oh, come on, Usagi,” he said, throwing an arm around her waist to draw her close. “The girls can wait. Besides I keep telling you that these Senshi meetings are pointless. Queen Beryl and Queen Metallia have been defeated and Tokyo saved from complete destruction. There’s no immediate threat to this city and its people. If there was, the Outer Senshi would have stayed here to help fight it.” He tried to keep the happiness out of his voice for the Outer Senshi’s departure. The longer Haruka, Michiru, and Setsuna stayed, the harder it was to cloak the Darkness. The three already didn’t trust him, and weren’t as easily fooled as the others were. The day they had left, Endymion had silently celebrated. Knowing his plan would work better without them there.

“Mamoru, you know why we have to have these meetings. It’s because we want to stay prepared just in case another enemy decides to show up. We don’t want to be rusty and let them get the jump on us. When Beryl was here, they got a jump on us because we hadn’t been awakened yet. And even when we did awaken it was _without_ our memories, which put us at even a higher disadvantage. Beryl and Metallia almost got the Silver Crystal because of it and they took you, turning you against us…” she shuddered at the memories. Endymion didn’t say anything because he knew what had happened as well as she did. But what she didn’t know… “So, yes, Mamoru, I have to go to this meeting today.” She went and picked up her shirt, brushing past him and if he hadn’t known any better, he would have thought that she knew that something was up with him. But Serenity didn’t know, because if she did, she would have been in her full Senshi _fuku_ and battling him. Besides he had been overly cautious. The reason she was acting like this was because thinking back to those moments where he was evil were tragic for her. She didn’t like thinking about them, but he knew that they weren’t over yet. _She_ just didn’t know it yet. Soon his plan would come to fruitation and then…

He would have everything he had before that battle and more. Endymion smirked as he thought back on it, but was interrupted by Serenity’s communicator going off. He knew what it was going to be about, and he drifted to the doorway of the bedroom to overhear.

“Minako,” Serenity groaned. “What the hell? You know we’re having these meetings for a _reason_ and yet you’re canceling today’s because you can’t keep your hands off Kunzite for five minutes?” Endymion smirked and continued to wait for the end of the conversation. “Yeah, yeah, whatever. But we better meet tomorrow, Minako.” She turned off her communicator. She stood up and found him staring directly at her with a raised eyebrow.

“What was that about?” He asked, curious, even though he already knew.

“That was Minako canceling the meeting because apparently, Kunzite and her can’t keep their hands off one another,” she replied, a line forming on her forehead. Endymion hadn’t expected her to be this annoyed, but he kept the opinion to himself as he approached her. He kissed the line on her forehead.

“Oh, give them a break, Usagi. You know they’re probably experiencing the same thing we are.”

“Yes, but at least _they_ had time to do that before the battle. So they can’t really use that as an excuse, can they?” He couldn’t help but smile at her tirade. He quite liked this version of his princess. It was a major turn on. But at the same time, he wanted to yell at her that they could have had that time too if she hadn’t been so stubborn! It didn’t matter now though because they were together. Of course, it wasn’t in the way he liked, but soon it would change. Very soon.

“I guess not, but let them have their fun, love,” he said into her ear. Serenity’s breath hitched as he trailed butterfly kisses down her neck and to her collarbone. He felt her relax into his arms and he pulled away to look at her. “So, since the meeting was canceled, shall we continue what we started earlier?” His voice had taken on that husky tone again, which showed her how aroused he was. Even though, she could probably feel how aroused he was, since she was standing so close. She only sighed in response, which gave him the answer he needed. He picked her up bridal style again and took her to their room. He laid her out on the bed and helped her remove her clothes, which she had only just put on not twenty-five minutes ago. As he had previously thought, her black bra was easily and quickly removed. Her eyes fluttered closed as he kissed her bare breast.

She moaned in pleasure, bringing a smile to his lips. He loved these moments, but they were bittersweet for him. When she cried out in ecstasy, it was Mamoru’s name she screamed. Not his, but soon, if everything went according to plan, she would call out his rightful name. But until then, he would deal with her screams in other ways. By kissing them away, making her swallow them.

Serenity wiggled impatiently beneath him, letting him know that while he had drifted into his thoughts he had stopped his pleasures. He quietly chuckled at his princess’s urgency. She had become quite the sex kitten since they had started only a month ago. Endymion’s tongue teased the nipple of her left breast and he felt her goose bumps arise on her skin and the nipple he was teasing became taut. The fingers of his right hand splayed down the terrain of her flat stomach and inched further down. She gasped at the direct contact, which gave Endymion the opportunity to delve his tongue into the caverns of her mouth.

Her hand began to wander across his body and he relished in her touch. Her hands were so small and she used the tips of her fingernails just so. It was pure heaven. He let out a surprised hiss when her fingers brushed his erected member. Endymion glanced at her, surprised that she had been so bold. Her eyes were alight with wickedness, which excited him. This is what he had to look forward to when she was finally turned. The touch and the wicked glint in her eyes had made him increase his pace. He didn’t want to deal with his fingers or hers anymore. He needed release and he needed it now.

As if sensing this, her legs opened for him and as usual he fit perfectly between them. He poised himself at her entrance and then quickly slid inside. They both groaned in pleasure and he began to move. Breathing escalated and it soon just came in gasps as he increased the speed of his movements. She was close, he could feel it. He pulled himself all the way out and then buried himself to the hilt inside her. That was all it took. Her muscles clamped down on him and he was sent over the edge. Usually, he didn’t like to scream out his pleasure, but today was different. Whether it was because of her boldness or because of the wicked glint that foreshadowed things, he let his exuberance go.

“Serenity!” He exclaimed as he buried his seed within her.

* * *

The night had fallen quickly as the thunderstorm moved out. The sky was black as ink and only some stars were visible. It was the night of a new moon, so its familiar rays were not present, making the night even darker than normal. After the afternoon Usagi and Mamoru had, he had lain beside her, stroking her bare back and was surprised how quickly she had fallen asleep. He had fallen asleep not soon after. As soon as Usagi heard his deep breathing, she opened her eyes and stared out into the dark night, thinking everything over. The events of the last four months had been wonderful and now that she thought about it, weird. The afternoon’s events had been especially weird.

She cast a glance over her shoulder to see that Mamoru was really asleep before she slipped out of the bed as quietly as possible. She grabbed her clothes from the floor and put them on. Taking one last glance at his sleeping form, she exited the room and walked into the living room of the apartment. She went to gather her things to go home, but she realized that she couldn’t. This _was_ her home now. But she needed to get out. She needed to think. Usagi moved towards the door, making sure to keep her movements quiet so not to disturb Mamoru. That was all she needed was for him to wake up as she tried to clear her thoughts.

The door opened without a sound and she sneaked through and closed it as quietly as she could. Once outside of the apartment she began to think. Mamoru had seduced her into bed again and she didn’t know what came over her. But she felt some sort of power over him when her hand had brushed against him. Something that seemed to excite him even more. Then at the end, the look in his eyes, and…she shook her head. It couldn’t be.

After everything that had happened to them over the last four months, things could not be turning out this way. She refused to believe it. Karma wouldn’t be that cruel to her. But…a part of her couldn’t help but think, why else had he called her Serenity at the end? She closed her eyes and she felt a headache coming on. Things couldn’t be going this way and why was it showing now, four months later? Even if Usagi could find a reason that would explain what had happened, she could feel it.

Her gut was telling her that something was wrong. Everything wasn’t as it appeared to be.


	2. False Pretense

_All along you know you thought you got the best of me_

_You were wrong and I’m laughing right in your face_

_I cannot believe you claimed you were my family_

_Don’t sweat it, set a false pretense_

_Betrayed, but not going to be willing to change_

_And it doesn’t seem likely to fade_

_Betrayed, but not going to be willing to change_

_‘Cause you know_

_~ False Pretense ~The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus_        

* * *

Juuban Park had always been the place, the center of everything, in Usagi’s eyes. The many youma battles, the tree where she had made her promise to herself to turn Mamoru back to the Light, and the memory that stood out the most, the run in with Mamoru back when things were only just beginning. The memory alone brought a smile to her face as she wandered through the trees. She needed to get out of that apartment complex. She needed to get out and away from his staggering presence. She still needed to think about what she had just discovered, or at least, hope to God that she was mistaken. The park was the first place that came to mind and Usagi’s feet had carried her here.

She began to wander, not sure what to think about what had just happened. There was no way, not after that long and tiresome battle that spanned years that this could be happening. Usagi sighed and stopped walking. She smiled a little when she realized that she stopped at the fountain in the center of the park. It had been awhile since she had walked by this fountain. The water, of course, had been turned off due to the late hour, but there was still water in the basin along with a few coins.

Many believed that there was an ancient spirit guarding this park and that it granted wishes. It was a silly superstition, she knew but, at the moment, she needed all the help that she could get. Fetching into her pocket she found a single coin and tossed it in. _Please let me be wrong…_ she thought to herself. A wind picked up, as if agreeing with her wish, but on that wind she could have sworn that she heard a ghostly chuckle. Mamoru’s chuckle, the one he used so many years ago when he was teasing her.

**_*Flashback*_ **

_It had been a week since the masquerade ball at the Tokyo Embassy and only three days since Usagi’s world had been turned upside down, again. After the death of the Dark Kingdom’s second general, Nephrite, the Senshi hadn’t expected them to attack anytime soon. But they were wrong. It had taken all the Senshi by surprise. Zoicite had taken the disguise of a powerful psychic and had brainwashed TV executives and the people of Tokyo to search for the Silver Crystal. Using the waves from Tokyo Tower, they had begun to take people’s energy at an alarming rate. Ami, Rei, and Makoto had been able to transform and avoid the Dark Kingdom’s attack._

_Usagi hadn’t been so lucky. She was caught on the street and succumbed to the attack. She didn’t really remember what had happened next with_ exact _clarity, but what she did remember was that she felt really warm and her energy had returned to her. When she opened her eyes, Tuxedo Kamen was staring down at her, looking almost helpless. Usagi sat up and knew even before he told her, that the Dark Kingdom was at work. In the back of her mind, she wondered how he knew that she was Sailor Moon, but she put it aside for later. People were dying._

_She threw her hand into the air and shouted, “Moon Prism Power!” Once the light show faded, she jumped into the air with Tuxedo Kamen by her side. There were people collapsed everywhere and she didn’t know what to do. Luna had told her last time that she was the leader of the Sailor Senshi. Ha! Some leader she was. As if sensing her despair, the Moon Wand that Luna gave her appeared in front of her. Would this help bring these people back to life? She looked at Tuxedo Kamen, who was staring back at her, reassurance and strength in his gaze. She wouldn’t know, unless she tried, she couldn’t help but think. Taking the wand within her grasp, she put her will behind the power._

_“Bring these people back to life, please!” She pleaded. Warmth spread through her again and she watched as people who only moments before were motionless, sat up. Her strength began to dwindle and she felt herself lose consciousness for the second time that day._

* * *

_When she awoke, she was not in her own bed. But it didn’t feel like she was in danger. Her Sailor Moon transformation faded as she sat up, and something fell into her lap. She uncovered her legs and saw the most beautiful star-shaped locket that appeared to also be a watch. Usagi wondered if Tuxedo Kamen had dropped it before he left her here._ Tuxedo Kamen _… a part of her thought and for some reason, a chill went up her spine. He had known that she was Sailor Moon. He had seen her transform. Words that Luna had said after the masquerade ball drifted into her head,_ He may be our enemy. _It couldn’t be true! He had saved her so many times. He couldn’t be their enemy. Usagi finally looked around wondering where she was._

_As if on cue, the door to the bedroom opened and she looked up, expecting to see Tuxedo Kamen standing in the doorway. But it wasn’t him. In fact, it was the very last person she would have expected to see there._

_Mamoru Chiba? Wha - ?_

_“Oh, good, you’re up,” his voice encompassed her. He walked into the room, ignoring Usagi’s open mouth and wide, shocked eyes. Mamoru Chiba was standing in the room with her. Mamoru Chiba was in the room with her. The phrase kept repeating itself in her head, but it just wouldn’t compute. What was Mamoru doing here and did he know that she was Sailor Moon? What was Tuxedo Kamen_ thinking _bringing her here? The thought went through her head, but her eyes had already found the answer. Mamoru was wearing a white buttoned up shirt with black dress pants. And, as her eyes drifted around the room, the chair in the corner put all the pieces together. There was a black cape, a black top hat, and a white mask lying on that chair._

Oh. My. God. Mamoru was Tuxedo Kamen? _No. But that meant her first kiss from the masquerade ball! It was with him? She looked at him, willing him to explain that everything wasn’t as it appeared. That Tuxedo Kamen was in the bathroom and would be with her shortly._

_“You don’t remember what happened, do you?” He asked those deep azure blue eyes bearing into her. Making her wonder if he could see all the way to her soul._

_“No,” she replied. “I don’t really remember…”_

_He smiled, but it didn’t quite reach his eyes. “You collapsed, totally drained of energy. Which after what you did, reviving all those people? I’m not surprised. I didn’t know where to take you, so I brought you here.”_

_“And where is here?”_

_“My place,” this time the smile reached his eyes. He had walked around and was sitting across from her on the bed. Usagi could only stare. Why hadn’t she seen it before? The way she felt whenever she was around Mamoru and Tuxedo Kamen, the voice, the hair and the smell. She should have put the pieces together sooner. But…a part of her couldn’t help but intercede. What about that kiss from the masquerade ball? He had known who her civilian form was, he had danced with her for heaven’s sake, but yet at the end of the night he still kissed her. What was that about? He had teased and made fun of her so many times, that she didn’t think he liked her in that way, but… he didn’t seem to regret it. At least, it didn’t look that way…_

_“What could you possibly be thinking about so hard?” His voice interrupted her thoughts. She blushed furiously, realizing that she had been staring at him this whole time. Great, now she looked like a complete idiot, even though he was using that familiar teasing tone. Agh! This guy was going to drive her straight into an insane asylum she swore. “Hello, earth to Odango Atama.” He waved a hand in front of her face._

_“Would you stop calling me that!” She exclaimed causing a chuckle to escape him. “Sorry, I wasn’t so attentive, but you just gave me_ a lot _to think about. It’s not everyday you find out your sworn nemesis saves your butt on a nightly basis.”_

_“I’m going to pretend that I didn’t hear you call me your sworn nemesis. I think you have bigger problems than that.”_

_“I guess you’re right,” she sighed. So many things changed now. Mamoru and her, were they really enemies? Or, because of that kiss, were they something more? She had so many questions; she just didn’t know where to start. Luna and the others would kill her if they knew… She groaned, which caused Mamoru to look at her in alarm. She waved him off. “Luna and the others are going to be worried. I better go…” She climbed out of the bed and made her way to the door. A hand slipped around her waist, stopping her and causing a hot flush to warm up her face._

_“Don’t forget your bag, Buns,” that deep, husky voice said from behind her, and held out her school bag._

_Usagi didn’t remember leaving that apartment. Her mind kept thinking about Mamoru. He was Tuxedo Kamen. He saved her on a nightly basis. He didn’t hate her like he pretended to everyday. And he called her Buns. The nickname sounded so natural, so right coming from his lips. Ugh. But he could be your enemy, the Luna side of her brain argued. Was he though? Usagi couldn’t believe it. Like she said, her life had been turned upside down._

* * *

_Her mind was still thinking about this a few days later as she walked through the park on her way to school. Luna was at her side, as she had been ever since Zoicite’s attack, but Usagi didn’t mind. What she minded was that she hadn’t seen Mamoru since she woke up in his apartment. The Dark Kingdom hadn’t attacked either, so Tuxedo Kamen hadn’t needed to make an appearance. She wanted to see him, to talk to him though. But at the same time she was happy that she hadn’t seen him, because she knew that they_ would _talk the next time they met each other. What would she say?_

Well, it was time to find out _, a part of her registered as she saw his very familiar form sitting on the lisp of the fountain. Her feet had slowed as she realized that it was really him, and Luna looked up at her questioning, wondering why her charge had slowed. She walked closer, knowing that this was all ridiculous. She was fourteen not five!_

_He looked up from his book at her approach, a playful smirk on his face. “Hey,” was all he said, causing her heart to beat faster and louder. Could he hear it from where he was sitting?_

_“Hey yourself,” she replied. Oh, why did he have to be so devilishly handsome? And then his reading glasses perched just so…_ Get a grip, Usagi! _She chastised herself and finally took notice of the book that he was reading and the stack at his feet. They were all about stones. Was he reading up on them because of the Silver Crystal? She internally sighed and threw her hand into her skirt pocket. Her hand closed around the star shaped watch._ Oh, that’s right, _she drew it out. “I totally forgot, I think this might belong to you.” She held it out for him to take it._

_He looked at it and shook his head. “Nah, you hang onto it until the next time we meet. I have something to return to you too.”_

_“What could you possibly have of mine?”_

_He chuckled, “You’ll see next time.”_

**_*End of Flashback*_ **

Usagi sighed. She never did find out what Mamoru had of hers. He was taken by the Dark Kingdom and turned not long after that. Sure, she could ask him, now, but Usagi didn’t know if she could. She didn’t even know if she wanted to go back to that apartment. Not if what she suspected turned out to be true. The memory she just relived trickled against her brain again. Things had been so simple back then. Okay, maybe not _simple_ , that whole ‘Tuxedo Kamen is Mamoru’ thing had really thrown her, but at least it was simpler. Not as complicated as things were now.

Which brought her to the reason she was here. Mamoru had called out Serenity’s name when they were together this afternoon. The only time that he had called her that was when he was evil. When he was Endymion. But Mamoru couldn’t be Endymion. Her Silver Crystal had cleansed him when they had ‘died’ four months ago. The girls had been witness to it. They recalled the bright flash of light that belonged to the Silver Crystal. So how could there still be Darkness within him? And if there was, how come she didn’t sense it?

A nagging thought loomed in the back of her mind. How did she know that it was the Silver Crystal that healed him? A logical and needed question. Some of the events from that battle were a bit hazy and that was because for all intents and purposes, she had been dead. Usagi remembered that Endymion had unleashed that ‘new and improved’ cloud that had sucked ten times the amount of energy that the one before it had. It was killing the people of Tokyo. Knowing that she had to stop it, she jumped into the cloud and began her attack from the inside. It had begun to work and her energy had begun to wane. That’s when she had sensed two energies coming at her.

One of those energies had been the Silver Crystal from the future that Black Lady had been wielding. Which was strange, because she didn’t think that the crystal from the future could work when it was so close to the crystal of the past. But there were two energies. What was the other one? It wasn’t any of the Senshi, even if they all combined their powers, their energy signature wouldn’t have been that strong. The same goes for the Shitennou. That left one other person that day that was there, watching as his plans were falling to ruin before his very eyes. The person who had a lot of reason to attack her, and so much to gain…

Endymion.

But the question was how had he channeled so much energy? Yes, he had been delved in Darkness far longer than the Shitennou and the Inner Senshi, but would it be that strong? Did Queen Metallia, who had been possessing him, loaned him the strength, or… _The Golden Crystal is Endymion’s crystal. Its power rivals that of the Silver Crystal._ Her own voice echoed in her mind. The Golden Crystal, she groaned. But how had he gotten his hands on it? Helios had told her that she was the key to unlocking it and she knew that it was within his heart. The only time that he could free it was if he was in desperate need of more power…

Usagi wanted to hit herself on the head. _Duh,_ she told herself. She had been so close to destroying everything that Endymion had worked towards, he needed to stop her _somehow_ , so he delved down into his heart and the Golden Crystal was set free. This brought about _so many_ problems for Usagi. No wonder she couldn’t sense any Darkness in him! When they had ‘died,’ Endymion’s crystal had healed him instead of hers, keeping the Darkness within his soul.

And then why _wouldn’t_ he use that to his advantage? Usagi thought he was healed, that he had become Mamoru again, which was _exactly_ what he wanted. The longer she didn’t know, the longer he had to come up with a plan to get her, the Inner Senshi and the Shitennou back to the Darkness. What had she said a few hours ago? _Queen Beryl and Metallia were able to get the drop on us, that’s why we almost lost._ Oh, the irony of that statement. No wonder she had seen Endymion (or at the time she thought he was Mamoru) smirk a little at her tirade. He was doing _exactly_ what she had been fighting against. So many things were becoming clearer now, like why he had been so happy that the Outer Senshi had decided to go back to Los Angeles. Usagi hadn’t understood it until now. Much to her disdain, the Outers were stronger and more perceptive than the Inners, and with them gone…Endymion was able to keep the wool over Usagi’s eyes for a tad bit longer.

A headache began, throbbing in her skull and Usagi forced herself to sit down on the ground. She drew her legs into her and placed her chin upon them. Tears were threatening to spill over, but she was fighting to keep them at bay. She had thought that she had won. She thought that she had finally gotten her happily ever after. But apparently, the Gods above had other ideas. They weren’t going to let her get off that easy, even though she totally deserved it.

But no. Mamoru was still evil. He was still Endymion. And she…the tears began to spill over as she realized what she had done. She had given herself to Endymion, not Mamoru like she had believed. And she had done it, many, _many_ times. _Fucking fantastic_ , she thought in her head. _Just one more thing that I’ve been screwed over on and another thing Endymion is_ sure _to hold over my head when we finally face off again._ She groaned in despair at the thought. What was she going to do? Obviously, she couldn’t heal him because of the Golden Crystal, but she couldn’t kill him either. She had tried that already and failed. Besides, she didn’t think she had the heart to do it again.

So, what the hell was she going to do? Since, sitting in the park was going to get her real far…she sighed and closed her eyes. She should have known that it couldn’t be this easy. She was Sailor Moon Defender of Love and Justice and Princess Serenity of the Moon Kingdom, soul mate of Prince Endymion of Earth. Nothing in her life was ever easy. Why couldn’t she have been a normal teenager? She couldn’t help but think, not for the first time in the last few years.

Usagi let her eyes close and her thoughts to drift off, she needed to sleep and there was no way she was going back to that apartment now that she knew the truth. Yes, it might become suspicious, but at the moment, Usagi didn’t care. She wasn’t one for pretending that everything was okay when it really wasn’t. She could go over to one of her friends’ homes but if they were really up to what she thought they were up to with the Shitennou, she didn’t want to be around them. Besides she didn’t want to worry them, just yet. This could wait until the morning. Usagi felt herself drifting off when she heard the screams.

Her head shot up in alarm and she looked around with wide, aware eyes. She got up from the ground and heard the screams again. She ran towards the area where she heard them and slowed down. Huddled on the ground was a couple, who looked scared out of their minds. They clutched at each other and stared up in horror at the sight before them. Usagi stared, and couldn’t believe what she saw. Standing in front of the couple were two women-like youma. One had greenish skin and the other’s was tinged lilac. They both had small white wings protruding from their backs and despite their already tall forms, were wearing four inch heals.

“Would you two stop your screaming? It’s getting rather annoying,” the one with green skin spat out. “And it’s not like it’s going to stop us from taking all your energy.” Usagi gasped, causing the one with lilac skin to look behind her. Luckily there was a bush nearby and she ducked behind it. She reached for her brooch, knowing she had to stop them from taking that innocent couple’s energy, but she hesitated. By transforming into Sailor Moon, Endymion would be alerted and come for her, something Usagi didn’t want. But, at the same time, she could block him from finding her and still transform and defeat these monsters. She was torn, especially because she wanted to know who had deployed these youma. She had a very bad feeling in her gut that she already knew who had ordered them. But even now, she was still hoping that she was wrong…

With much regret and a promise to heal the couple as soon as the youma departed, she dropped her hand from her brooch and continued to watch the horrific scene. The two youma had wasted no time in continuing with their plans during her moment of indecision. The couple continued to scream as their energy was drained from them. Soon, though, they fell silent and slumped lifeless onto the ground. The two youma cackled in glee.

“Perfect,” the one with green skin said. “We got their energy completely without any interference from the Sailor Senshi.”

“Yes, Endymion’s plan is working perfectly,” the lilac skinned youma replied. “He should be pleased at today’s amount. We’re almost to our goal.”

“Yes, we are.” The two of them exchanged wicked smiles and then disappeared into a dark portal. A portal, Usagi could only assume led to the Dark Kingdom. She emerged from behind the bush, and went to check on the couple. They both had a pulse, but it was very faint. Using the Silver Crystal, she silently healed them and wiped their memories. Usagi didn’t want them to remember this horrific night.

As soon as she finished her task, she stepped back and thought over what she had just heard. Those youma had been working for Endymion and from the sound of things they had been doing this for the last few months. Endymion had a new plan that required energy and they were almost at their goal. What was Endymion planning and how had he gotten away with all these youma attacks without them realizing it? Usagi thought furiously. She sighed. She didn’t know the answers, but she knew one thing for sure.

A new war was beginning, and this one was going to be far worse than the last.


	3. Strange Relationship

_Keep acting like you own me,_  
_I keep running, watch me walking out that door_  
 _I hear you behind me_  
 _Give me that strange relationship_  
 _Never felt pleasure and pain like this_  
 _Something so right, but it feels so terribly wrong_  
 _I keep holding on_  
 _Give me that strange relationship_  
 _One of us gotta let go of this_  
 _I keep pushing and you keep holding on_  
 _I'm already gone_

_~ Strange Relationship ~Darren Hayes_

* * *

 

Usagi watched over the couple that had just been attacked by Endymion’s youma as she tried not to freak out, which she knew would lead to a complete and utter breakdown. How could she have not known that Endymion still existed? How could she have been so blind to the obvious signs? She thought she had grown in her three-year absence. She thought that she was stronger than any of Endymion’s mind tricks. But apparently, she wasn’t. Usagi was still that girl from three years ago, from before she left Japan. All she wanted was Mamoru back and at the first sign of that, she had dropped her defenses and rushed right into his arms. Just like, she couldn’t help but think, he thought, no _knew_ , that she would. She had fallen for his biggest mind game of all.

And now, he had a slight upper hand. _Again_ , she added on bitterly. He had somehow been collecting energy from people over the last four months and he was now close to his goal. Whatever that was. And he had part of what he wanted. Her innocence, and, even though she hated to admit it, dominance over her. Because, she knew that when they faced off in battle he would throw that back in her face. Usagi could already think of a dozen verbal attacks he would surely use against her. _You say you fight for the Light, Serenity, but how can that possibly be, when you’ve been tainted by Darkness?_ She could practically hear him in her head. Damn it all. She had really messed up this time.

And as her eyes fell across the innocent couple, she couldn’t help but think that she _had_ messed up in more ways than one. But the couple began to stir, as Usagi thought, and she barely was able to sneak away before they caught sight of her. Her mind was preoccupied with all the things she had learned that evening. One, that even after multiple strenuous battles and two deaths, Endymion still existed in Mamoru’s soul. Two, he had a new plan that he had been carrying on over the last four months. Three, his new plan was almost to its completion. And four? Well, four was the scariest realization of all for Usagi that night. Four, she had let an innocent couple be attacked just so she could find out information from the youma. She had _almost_ let the couple _die_ for her benefit. What the hell had possessed her to do that? Why had she done that? She was Sailor Moon, Defender of Love and Justice! She wasn’t supposed to let innocent people be hurt. Sure, people had been hurt during battle before, but not on purpose! What was wrong with her? Was this what she was capable of doing? Usagi stopped walking and looked up at the night sky. There was no moon that night, so she had nothing to draw strength from, which figured since she needed it desperately that night. She needed to reassure herself that what she had done was for good and not with an evil underlay. But even as she thought that way, she knew what she had done was not good.

And that scared her.

Had her _extracurricular activities_ with ‘Mamoru’ started affecting her in more ways than she understood? Was Endymion’s Darkness rubbing off on her? She thought back to that afternoon when she had brushed him and how she felt, well, _powerful_. Was that normal? Or was she finally being tainted? Her hands began to shake and she soon grew wary as the stress of her new situation fell onto her shoulders.

How was she going to defeat Endymion this time? She had died _twice_ and it hadn’t done anything. If anything, it made the situation worse. Her first death had brought out the Golden Crystal. The second had only given him the opportunity to begin the masquerade and do his own thing behind her back. What was she going to do now? He had the Golden Crystal and as long as he had it _and_ was controlled by Darkness, not only was Tokyo in grave danger, but the rest of the world as well. Did she really have no choice but to kill the man she loved, not only to save the world but also to save him from himself?

“I have to,” she said out loud. “I’ve been trying for four years to save him from Darkness and nothing has worked. Now that he has the Golden Crystal it will be impossible to heal him. I don’t have another option.” Even as she said the words out loud, the decision still didn’t sit well with her. The same thing happened when she had first come back to Tokyo four months ago. She had been dead set on killing him when she first arrived, but not even a full day had passed before she changed her mind. It wasn’t as easy as it looked to decide to kill the love of your life. Even if he wasn’t the same man she knew over a thousand years ago or the man that she knew for a year in this lifetime, she still loved him. She looked up and saw that familiar tree, the one she had carved their initials into as a promise to herself that she would get Mamoru back if it was the last thing she did, and ran her fingers over the initials.

“I wish things weren’t this complicated with us,” she whispered. “I wish we could be together with nothing standing in our way, but I don’t think it’s meant to be. First a thousand years ago with Beryl and the Dark Kingdom and now this period with you refusing to join the side of Light. Why, dear Selene, is fate being so cruel?” She crumpled to the ground and finally, beneath that tree, let loose three years worth of tears and heartbreak.

* * *

Endymion was startled awake as he felt an overwhelming amount of emotions crash through him. His heart felt like it was being ripped in two and he felt so much despair. Where were these emotions coming from? They couldn’t be coming from Serenity since she was lying…he looked and froze. Well, she _had_ been lying next to him, but her side of the bed was empty. So these emotions he was feeling, they were coming from her? Why was she so distraught though and where was she? He felt through their connection and was surprised to find her cradling herself underneath a tree in Juuban Park, tears streaming down her cheeks. What the hell was she doing there? And how long had she been there?

Since Endymion knew that part of his plan involved the park that evening, and he didn’t want Serenity to find out about it until it was too late. He tried to sense out what was causing Serenity’s despair and tears, when he was shut out of their bond. _Great_ , he couldn’t help but think, she was shielding him again. If there was one thing that annoyed him about her absence three years previous (other than the _three_ year absence) it was the fact that she learned to block him from their bond. That bond had been so useful when all of this started five years ago. He was able to tell what she was feeling, where she was and whether she was Sailor Moon or in her civilian form. But as soon as she disappeared, it had grown fuzzy, so he wasn’t able to pin point exactly where she was. All he knew was that Serenity was still on planet earth.

Right now, it would have been useful to figure out why she was feeling so down in the dumps. He had a good feeling he knew why, but he wasn’t a hundred percent sure. The only way he would know is if he checked on things back on the home front. Endymion sighed and got out of bed. This was what he got for being the big guy in charge. He felt his armor appear as he teleported to the Dark Kingdom. He cracked his bones as he appeared and saw the Doom and Gloom Girls waiting. They bowed as their leader approached them.

“We were wondering if you would appear today, Prince Endymion,” she said.

“I wouldn’t have, but Serenity’s emotions awakened me,” he sighed. “Which leads me to why I did come down here. Did something go wrong during the mission this evening?”

“Nothing at all, sire,” one of the girls with lilac skin replied. “We attacked a couple in Juuban Park and drained them almost dry of energy.”

“And there was no interference from Sailor Moon?” He asked, almost desperately. It was not the best sign coming from a leader, especially one from the Dark Kingdom, but he felt that it was a necessary question.

“None, whatsoever,” the Doom and Gloom Girl responded.

If she didn’t interfere, then why was Serenity so depressed? Endymion thought that she had found out about him still being in Darkness because she came across the incident in the park. But she hadn’t been there, so she didn’t know what was going on. So why was she in the park crying her heart out? It didn’t make sense. What was she doing in the park in the first place? Was an even better question to ask himself, he couldn’t help but think. She had been lying right beside him when he had fallen asleep. Why had she left?

Unless…he thought back to that afternoon’s events, trying to find a place where he might have slipped.

_Usually, he didn’t like to scream out his pleasure, but today was different. Whether it was because of her boldness or because of the wicked glint that foreshadowed things, he let his exuberance go._

_“Serenity!” He exclaimed as he buried his seed within her._

Oh, well, shit. No wonder she was in the park and crying her eyes out. She had found out that her precious ‘Mamoru’ wasn’t back. Her efforts had failed. Well, this brought up a whole new set of problems for him.

“Prince Endymion?”

The dark prince waved off the head Doom and Gloom girl and began walking into the Dark Kingdom. He didn’t see where he was going because his mind was too preoccupied by what he had just found out. Serenity knew that he wasn’t Mamoru. His cover had been blown. Now, obtaining the last of the energy that he needed was going to get difficult.

A week after ‘Mamoru’ had returned, he had come up with his new plan to get everything that he had and more back. It involved collecting energy and remaining indiscreet as he did so. On his first return trip to the Dark Kingdom since the final battle, he had discovered Metalia’s youma still remained. One particular group, the Doom and Gloom girls, were highly skilled in what he needed. They developed a plan together that was fool proof.

Endymion had realized that he still had slight control of his generals. He used that to his advantage. During the night when the Doom and Gloom girls would plan their attack, he would take the time to ‘influence’ his gShitennou to keep the Inner Senshi occupied. While he kept Serenity occupied as well. Which wasn’t hard to do once she gave herself to him. During that time, the Doom and Gloom girls would patrol the city and only attack two or three people a night.

Fast-forward to now and they had a sizable amount of energy. Enough to turn all the generals and the Inner Senshi. So why hadn’t he done it yet? The answer was simple. He didn’t want what happened last time to happen again. So he was going for the biggest target.

The one he wanted to be turned the most. Endymion stopped in front of the energy holder and couldn’t help but smile at the dark swirling mass.

“How much further are we?” He asked the head Doom and Gloom girl.

“We’re close,” she replied. “One more human and you’ll have everything you’ve ever desired.” Her tone had dropped to seduction. But he ignored it. She reminded him too much of Beryl. She was a power hungry wench who lusted after him.

But he wasn’t interested. There was only one that he truly wanted.

“Soon,” he whispered. “Soon, Serenity. You will be mine completely.”

* * *

Usagi’s eyes snapped open and her head popped up. She looked around her surroundings trying to find the cause of her alarm. But her eyes came up with nothing. No one was there. She was the only person in the park this late at night. So why had it felt like someone was there with her, watching her? In fact, if she looked at it closely, it felt like Mam – she sighed, that man wasn’t Mamoru – Endymion was there with her.

But that couldn’t be true, because he wasn’t there. There was no one there. She was alone. Unless…yes, there was no one _physically_ there, but what about _mentally_? Usagi froze as she felt the bond that Endymion and her shared and shuddered. He had been spying on her through the bond. That was why it had felt like he had been there.

She sighed. She had thought that she had closed him off from that bond, but apparently her emotional breakdown had opened it up again. Which meant that he might be on his way to her now to find out what was wrong. Usagi got up and began walking. She didn’t want to see him. Especially now that she knew the truth. And very soon, the others would know too.

Her finger was on the call all button of her communicator when a bright flash of light blinded her. As soon as it passed, Serena placed a hand on her brooch ready to transform just in case. She knew it wasn’t Endymion, since the person arrived in a bright light. In fact, the last person to arrive in such a bright light was…

Her eyes widened in shock as her hand dropped from her brooch. A boy about thirteen, with white hair that went to his shoulders and piercing green eyes walked towards her.

“Helios,” she whispered and with a shaky hand pressed the call all button on her communicator. Four faces appeared on the screen. “Get your asses to the park and whatever you do, don’t transform.” She ended the call and her eyes connected with the green ones.

“Princess Serenity,” he bowed. “I was hoping that I wouldn’t have had to visit you again since our last visit. But I’m afraid, that I come to you with bad news.” She nodded her head, as another part of her hope died. She had hoped that he had brought good news, but she should have known better.

Things were not going her way tonight.

“I figured,” she sighed. “Especially since I just found out some bad news myself.” He looked at her curiously and she shook her head. She would wait until the girls got here to tell them what she had learned about Endymion.

* * *

Four young women and four men ran towards the blonde woman and silver-haired boy in the center of the park. They had been running ever since they had gotten the call to come to the park. When they reached them, they bent over and began to catch their breath. Usagi and Helios waited for a few minutes until they looked back up.

“Okay, what was so urgent but required us not to transform?” Rei demanded. “ _And_ come to the park at this hour?” The other girls nodded, while their lovers looked at the young boy standing next to Usagi. They had seen the boy a few times before; the most recent, the day of the final battle several months ago. But where else had they seen him? He looked so familiar. Almost as if they knew him from the Silver Millennium… The Silver Millennium! They all thought. Of course! The boy was Helios, one of the protectors of Elysion, Prince Endymion’s homeland. But the question was what was he doing here?

“Well, if you had dared to take in your surroundings, you would have noticed that we have a visitor,” Usagi replied her gaze steady. She knew that what she had to say to them was going to be taken hard. Especially by Rei and Minako. They believed that there was no threat. That Darkness had been conquered. And she had started to believe them. Until she learned the truth.

The girls’ eyes landed on Helios and instantly they groaned. They knew that the last time he was here was because things had gone terribly wrong in the future. So, the only reason for his return was because things must have gone wrong again. But how? Everything was as it should be, right?

“No,” Makoto broke the silence first. “I don’t believe it. What could possibly have gone wrong in the future this time? We’re all where we need to be. We’re all on the side of Light!”

“Not all of us,” Usagi replied and looked at the Shitennou who looked taken aback by the outburst.

“Serenity,” Kunzite said. “You don’t believe that it’s us. Do you?”

“No, I know it’s not you guys. But it is your master.” Her heart which had already broken into a billion pieces that night, fractured just a little bit more.

“Mamoru?” The girls said in unison, shocked.

“Usagi, did you hit your head or something? Don’t you remember that battle four months ago? The one where you died twice, killed Endymion and healed the Darkness out of his soul?” Minako asked, concerned for her princess.

“Of course I remember the battle four months ago, Minako!” Usagi exclaimed getting annoyed. “That’s why I know that I didn’t succeed in healing the Darkness out of his soul. Endymion still lives.” The statement was met by silence as the girls realized that their leader honestly believed what she was saying.

“Usagi,” Ami whispered. “How can you be sure that Endymion still lives? What exactly happened that night?”

She sighed and launched into the events that had happened that afternoon which lead her to her realizations that she figured out hours ago after discovering the youma. It was heartbreaking to go over it all again, but it had to be done. A t the end of her story, silence reigned. No one knew what to say. They all had questions and one question that were similar with all of them. What was Endymion planning?

“But how did he pull off the youma attacks without our knowledge?” Minako muttered. “How did he do it? You think people being drained of energy would have made the news or something.”

“Not if there were only one or two attacks a night. And just as long as the youma didn’t drain them completely, the media wouldn’t be aware of it.” Zoicite said and exchanged looks with the other Shitennou. Usagi caught the looks and wondered what was going on. Did they know something she didn’t know?

“Kunzite, what do you know?” She asked.

“Usagi, come on, just because they’re Endymion’s guard doesn’t mean that they knew what he was up to,” Rei jumped in.

“Actually, Rei,” Jadeite interrupted. “We sort of knew something was up. But we thought we were just being overly sensitive, considering our history.”

“Are you serious?” She jumped down his throat. “You knew something was going on and you didn’t think to tell us? Are you a fucking moron or what?”

“Rei, calm down,” Nephrite calmly said.

“Don’t you dare try and tell her to calm down, Nephrite,” Makoto replied her temper flaring. “She has a point. If you guys knew what was going on, you should have told us!”

“Makoto…”

“Don’t you start on this too, Kunzite,” Minako chirped in. Her blue eyes flashed like daggers and he knew not to mess with her when she was like this.

Zoicite looked at Ami, “Are you going to chatise me as well, love?”

“Only a little,” she replied. “You guys should have told me and the others. But how did you know something was up?” Usagi smiled a little at her reply. Ami _was_ always the logical one of the group.

“Well,” Jadeite began. “We started noticing a few months ago that at certain times of the day we would lose control of our actions. Like we were prisoners in our own bodies or something. Our bodies would act of their own accord and we were just watching. It was kind of like…”

“Kind of like when Beryl took control of us,” Zoicite continued for him.

“And this happened daily?” Usagi asked.

“Yes, and it usually happened at night or when there was a Senshi meeting,” Kunzite replied.

“Again you should have told us that this was happening!” Minako exclaimed.

“And what would you have done, Minako?” He asked, his temper flaring as well. “We barely knew what we were doing. We couldn’t escape it.”

“You still should have told us, because then we could figure out that something was going on sooner. Now Endymion has the upper hand, _again_.” She slumped and looked at her princess. If she felt this dejected, she could only imagine how Usagi felt. “Usagi…I’m sorry.”

“There’s no need to apologize, Minako. You didn’t start this,” she sighed. “However, that does lead me to why Helios is here.” She turned to the young boy. “So, Helios, what has gone wrong in the future this time?”

The boy sighed noting the tone in the princess’ voice. It sounded tired. She was sick of fighting. Something that scared him. Since if she was already this tired before the new war began, she was going to fall to Endymion’s charms easier. Not to mention what would happen when he told them the news.

“Helios?”

“I’m sorry to report that nothing has changed in the future. Well, not really.”

“What do you mean nothing has changed?” Usagi asked. “I thought with the battle a few months ago everything returned to normal. That’s why Black Lady disappeared. She couldn’t exist.”

“She no longer existed because you died. But once you regained life, the course of time resumed. Only Small Lady still doesn’t exist because…” he trailed off.

“Because?” Usagi prompted. What could possibly be the reason that her evil daughter didn’t exist in the future if everything was still the same as it was a few months ago?

“Because in the future, Endymion is dead.”


	4. Shattered

_So empty can’t feel no more_

_As I’m left with my tears on the floor_

_I wait for my heart to mend_

_But you keep tearing a hole_

_Oh, inside I’m so lost_

_In the middle of my heart_

_It’s a battlefield of love_

_I’ve been fighting for too long_

_~Shattered ~Backstreet Boys_

* * *

“Because in the future, Endymion is dead,” Helios said. A silence reigned over the group as the information sunk in. Endymion was dead in the future. That was why Black Lady had not returned after Usagi had come back to life months ago. But how did he die? And why was the future still encased in evil?

“I have the sneaking suspicion,” Usagi began, forcing all eyes on her. “That I am not the one who kills Endymion in the future. Am I, Helios?”

“You are correct, princess,” he replied. “You do not kill Endymion in the future.”

“Then who?” Kunzite asked. “Serenity is the only one of us who even has the power to rival that of Endymion’s.”

“Rival, yes, but not defeat. Especially now that he has the Golden Crystal,” Usagi said. “But I am curious to know, who kills Endymion?”

“His name is Prince Demando of Nemesis,” Helios replied. “But I’m afraid that is all I can divulge about the future. I may have said too much already.” The words weren’t needed though as Usagi put the pieces together. This Prince Demando of Nemesis was obviously also of the Darkness and had either challenged Endymion in the future, or…she trailed off and frowned. Or what? Why else would he challenge him? Unless...flashes of Queen Beryl lusting after Endymion flashed through her mind. There couldn’t be a chance that this Demando person had the same lust for her? She sighed. _Great, just another thing to add to my list of things to do._ She couldn’t help but think.

But the only way to change the future was to confront _him_ and get _him_ to change to the Light. …Or kill _him_ herself. But to do that she was going to need all of her Senshi. Which meant that the Outers needed to be informed of the new developments.

“Can you hold down Tokyo for awhile?” She asked the others.

“Of course,” Minako replied. “But where are you off to?”

“To bring in some back-up. I have a feeling we’re going to need it if we even want a chance to stand up to Endymion and whatever nasty plan he’s come up with.” She waved good-bye and in a blink of an eye was gone.

* * *

Endymion was staring at the glowing ball of energy when he felt the bond that Serenity and him shared return for a second. But in that second he saw a glimpse of Helios. He stepped back from the energy and pondered this. Helios was the young priest who guarded Elysion, his old home before things had changed. The last time that boy had been here, his daughter from the future had also appeared. But when Serenity died, Black Lady had disappeared. Why would Helios be back if everything in the future…

His train of thought stopped. Of course. Everything in the future was _not_ back on course. Endymion was still evil and Serenity was about to become evil herself. Is that why the boy had returned? To confirm Serenity’s fears of him still being in Darkness? _Well, now she_ definitely _knows,_ he thought to himself. A bought of emptiness hit him deep in the gut. He almost doubled over at the intensity of the feeling. But the feeling wasn’t from Serenity. Well, at least, not _directly_ from her. It was because she was no longer blocking their bond and the reason was because she wasn’t in Tokyo anymore.

Hell, she wasn’t even on the planet, he felt as he searched for her.

“Well, if you’ve disappeared to the Moon again, Serenity,” he said drawing the Doom and Gloom Girls attention. “Then I’m going to gather the last of what I need. So when you return we can have one interesting welcome back party.” He smirked and disappeared. The Doom and Gloom Girls followed suit.

* * *

Usagi didn’t know what possessed her, but she didn’t go to California to warn the Outer Senshi like she had said. Instead she disappeared to the Moon. Her heart was conflicted again and the only one who could possibly help was her mother. Once she appeared, she took a look around and felt a wave of nostalgia wash over her. These rocks used to be her home over a thousand years ago. She was going to be married to Prince Endymion, her one true love. Before Queen Metallia ruined everything. But now, things were almost the same way. Mamoru had been revealed to her as her soul mate and then he was ripped away from her. Just when she thought that she had him back, it turned out that he was still in Darkness.

She lightly walked on her former home and tried to fight back tears. She had cried enough over Endymion and her broken heart for one night. Usagi didn’t want to go back to who she used to be before her disappearance. But after one healthy cry, it was hard to go cold turkey again. Her mother’s prayer room (or what was left of it) came into sight and to Usagi’s surprise so did her mother.

“Serenity,” Queen Selene greeted. “It seems we are seeing more of each other since your return to Tokyo.”

“It’s good to see you too, mother,” Usagi replied trying to bite back an eye roll. It wasn’t her fault that there hadn’t been a need to visit Selene before she had disappeared.

“What brings you here this time, my dear?”

“The same thing that I was here for last time, I’m afraid. My heart is conflicted over Endymion.”

“But why is it conflicted? I would think after the battle four months ago everything between the two of you would be perfect.”

“How did you know of the battle four months ago?” Usagi asked surprised.

“My dear daughter, I watched the skies over Tokyo darken and the world fall to decay. Not to mention I felt when you died, came back, and almost died again.” Selene eyed her, and Usagi couldn’t help but blush.

“Well…” she sighed. “After all of that, I am afraid to say that Endymion still resides in the realm of Darkness.”

Selene’s eyebrow shot up in surprise. “Serenity, I think it’s best if you started from the beginning.”

* * *

After Usagi had left, the Inner Senshi and the Shitennou had stayed in the park knowing that their princess would soon return with the Outer Senshi. As soon as that happened, they were going to have to figure out what they were going to do about Endymion. But, not soon after Usagi had disappeared from the park, she had disappeared from the planet, making all the Senshi and Shitennou worry about her. Rei had been trying to find her when something else caught her attention nearby.

It was Darkness, and she wasn’t the only one who felt it. They all began searching for the source when a familiar raven-haired man walked out of the shadows a smile on his face. The Darkness that he had hid so well for four months was now spewing off of him in waves. Why continue to hide the secret when everyone knew?

“Well, well, well,” he drawled. “The Senshi and my Shitennou are having a party in the park and didn’t bother to invite me. That’s quite rude, you know.”

“Don’t even start with us about proper manners,” Makoto, always the one with the temper, replied. “Because what we’re doing isn’t half as bad as the shit you’ve been pulling these last few months.”

His smirk only continued to grow at that, “Serenity didn’t waste anytime in telling you about her latest discovery, I see. Speaking of her, where is my lovely moon princess?”

“Like hell if we’re telling you,” Rei spat. “You son of a bitch, good for nothing prince!”

“Why, if I didn’t know any better, I’d think you were angry with me, Mars.”

“Angry with you? More like pissed. She _trusted_ you and you’ve done nothing but betray her over and over again.”

“I haven’t betrayed her,” Endymion sternly said. The playful edge to his voice was gone. No one accused him of betraying Serenity and got away with it. Nobody. “I am still here for her. I still love _her_. I have never been with anyone else. It’s always been her.” He took a step towards the priestess but Jadeite stepped into his path.

“Don’t even think about it, Endymion,” he said his face stern. “I won’t let you hurt her just because you’re on one of your usual power tirades.”

Endymion took a step back and glanced at the scene before him. His Shitennou were standing with the Senshi, protecting them. _His_ Shitennou, the ones he had bound to him so that he wouldn’t be alone again. “If we’re speaking of betrayal, maybe I should point my finger at you, my dear Shitennou. You are bound to serve me, not your little Sailor Senshi.” The Shitennou looked at each other nervously. They had a feeling that this was going to come up. Endymion was supposed to be their master. He had brought them back after they had been sealed away in those stones by Beryl. But that spell that he had on them was broken. They were back on the side of Light.

“But then again,” Endymion continued. “You have helped me these last few months, haven’t you? Why if it weren’t for you distracting the Senshi, I wouldn’t have been able to go through with my plan. And thanks to you, I’m almost done.”

“Almost?” Ami asked, quite curious to know if what they had been hypothesizing earlier had been true. Was Endymion really gathering energy to turn Usagi?

“Yes, indeed, Mercury, I’m almost done. Just one more person to gather energy from and then Serenity will be turned.” That evil smirk was back on his face.

“Haven’t you learned anything at all?” Minako called out. “Usagi will _never_ turn. She won’t allow it.”

“That was before these last few months though. Don’t bother denying it. You all saw how dejected and defeated she was earlier tonight. She’s tired of fighting and it probably won’t take too much for her to fall this time around.” Victory was almost in his grasp. Now he just needed that energy…

The Doom and Gloom Girls appeared behind him and he smirked again. It was done. After all these months, the energy that he needed was finally in place.

“Who are they?” Minako whispered in shock.

“The Doom and Gloom Girls,” Kunzite replied also shocked by their appearance. “They were Beryl’s highest ranking youma. The only thing more powerful that she had in her arsenal was us. I can’t believe that they’re still around.”

“Well, believe it because I love to stick around and chat but I have things to do. Since I just found out that my plan is now complete, I think it’s time that I go fetch my princess from her hiding spot on the moon.” He smirked as the Senshi henshined before him, trying to stop him from disappearing, but the Doom and Gloom Girls stepped in front of him and blocked their attacks. “Have fun with them while I go fetch Serenity.” He ordered and disappeared into a portal of darkness.

* * *

“So after all of that, Endymion is still in Darkness and he also has the Golden Crystal,” Queen Selene said after Usagi had told her everything that had happened over the last few months. “You are in a predicament, my dear.”

Usagi sighed, “I can never catch a break, can I? For once, I would like to not have to keep fighting. I’m tired of this, mother. When do I get my happy ending?”

“I can’t answer that for you, Serenity. You know as well as I that you have to fight for what you want. So the question is what do you want?”

She didn’t have a response. What _did_ she want? She wanted to stop fighting. But she also wanted Mamoru. These last few months had been wonderful until she found out that it was all a lie. She had felt complete until it was all ripped away from her _again_.

So, she wanted Mamoru and she wanted to stop fighting. To get what she wanted though she was going to have to fight one last battle. _Who says it will work though this time? What was to stop Endymion from tricking her again?_ A part of her couldn’t help but add. Usagi groaned. She was at the same crossroads that she had been at earlier that night. How could she save Endymion when all previous attempts were futile?

“Have you come to a decision?” Her mother asked.

“How can I, mother?” Usagi replied. “I know what I want. I want Mamoru and to stop fighting. But to get that I have to fight one last time.”

“I’m sensing another but.”

“But who says that fight will ultimately lead to what I want? Goddess knows the last battles didn’t. If anything they made matters worse.”

“So what is your other option?”

“The other option,” she sighed and felt those familiar tears come back to the corner of her eyes. “The other option is that I have to kill him. Which would then lead to my own demise. How can I kill him when I know that Mamoru is still in there somewhere?” The tears began to fall freely as she realized again the hopelessness of her situation. Also she cried when she realized that a part of her old self had leaked through. This wasn’t how it was supposed to be.

Queen Selene watched all of this with a few tears of her own. Tears that she didn’t shed because her daughter was crying enough for them both. She couldn’t even begin to imagine what she was going through. She hated seeing her daughter in so much pain. But there really was no bright side in this situation. There were only two options.

 _No, there isn’t,_ a voice in her head whispered. _You know there is one more option to consider._ One more option? Selene frowned but then figured it out.

That can’t be an option! She screamed at herself. _It is and you know it. Besides just as long as Serenity is happy does it really matter?_ Did it? She wondered. Selene looked at Serenity and decided that it didn’t matter. She had cried enough for her lifetime.

“There is another option, Serenity,” she calmly said. Usagi looked up questioning.

“Another option? What are you talking about?”

“The third option is that you continue to love Endymion the way he is. And you - ” she stopped knowing this next part was going to be hard for her to get out, but it was for her own daughter’s happiness. “You stop fighting.”

Usagi gasped as she realized what Selene meant. “Stop fighting? But that means giving into the Darkness! You can’t be serious, mother!”

“But I _am_ , Serenity. If it means you are happy then do what you must.” She began to fade away much to Usagi’s shock.

“Selene, don’t you dare disappear on me. Get your butt back here this instant!”

“Follow your heart,” her voice whispered. The queen of the fallen Moon Kingdom did not reappear. Leaving a gawking Usagi in her wake.

Selene couldn’t be serious about what she had said. Join the Darkness, stop fighting all so that she could be happy? Her mother must have gone senile after all these years on the moon by herself. Why else would she tell her daughter to turn to Darkness, to go against everything she had been taught?

Unless…a new idea popped into her head. Unless Endymion had somehow known that the first thing Usagi would do after figuring out that he was still evil was run to Queen Selene. And he had gotten to her first. That would explain a lot. But at the same time Usagi couldn’t believe that that was what had happened. Her mother was strong. There was no way that she would succumb to Endymion and his Dark powers.

 _'Follow your heart,’_ her mother had whispered before disappearing for good, but that was the problem. Her heart was conflicted about what she should do. Should she try and save Endymion from the Darkness? Or should she forget it all and kill him?

 _Or,_ her mind piped in. _There’s always this new option. You could stop fighting and give into the Darkness._ Usagi froze. No! There was no way in hell that she would even consider that option. She couldn’t give into the Darkness now. Not after everything that had happened since this had started so many years ago. She had to settle this once and for all. And turning to the Darkness was a cop out. She could win this. She just needed to figure out how.

“Careful there, Serenity, or else you might self-combust from all that thinking you’re doing,” that familiar husky voice said from nearby. Usagi looked around startled. How had he found her so quickly? Her cornflower blue eyes connected with his deep azure blue eyes and she noticed for the first time in four months what she had been missing. The evil glint was back.

“What do you think you’re doing here?” She almost spat at him, but she kept her tone even. Almost cool, even.

“I started to get concerned when I felt your part of our bond disappear completely. Then I remembered the last time that happened you came here,” he looked around the ruins that had once been the lustrous Moon Kingdom and couldn’t help but shudder. He hadn’t been to the Moon since the day he died a thousand years ago. The Dark Kingdom had really brought the once powerful kingdom crumbling down. _But that wasn’t the point,_ a part of him reminded. He fought back the memories and stared again at Serenity. “I’m surprised you even came here considering all the horrible memories that come with this place.”

Usagi stared at him, taking in the familiar armor. _So cold_ she couldn’t help but think. “I didn’t come here for the memories. I came here to get some advice from my mother.”

He smirked, “Because that worked so well for you, last time.”

“I thought it did, until this evening.”

“Amazing how a little slip can turn into something so much bigger. But now that you know, there’s no use in pretending anymore. So, I will ask you this only once, Serenity. Save yourself another battle and please join me in Darkness.” He offered her his hand.

Usagi could only stare at it with disgust. She would never join him like this. It was either Light or nothing at all. The fact that he continued to ask her this was rather laughable and quite annoying.

“You know my answer, Endymion,” she replied stepping away from him.

“Pity,” he said retracting his hand. “I would have hoped that you would realize that after your previous attempts were futile that there was no other choice but to join me. But you never liked doing things the easy way.” The hand he had offered her now rested on the hilt of his sword. Usagi’s eyes narrowed. He wouldn’t dare start a fight with her on her old home. He pulled out his sword and faced her.

“Don’t you dare,” she seethed. “Not here. Not on my former home.”

“What better place than to start it here where it all ended?” He asked and rushed her. Usagi glared and felt her Sailor _fuku_ appear. How dare he mess with her on her one place of sanctuary? She threw a white energy ball at him and he fell back. He looked up amazed; somehow he hadn’t been expecting her to fight back. He had thought that the shock of him still being evil and the fact that he chased her here would have caused her not to attack him. But he should have known better.

Serenity was always strong willed, even if she acted like a klutzy crybaby sometimes. Or, she _used_ to act like klutzy crybaby, but ever since she came back she had been more mature. More of the princess that he remembered from the Silver Millennium. While he was ecstatic about this, there was a part of him that was saddened by this. The sweet and pure innocence of his Odango Atama was gone. Endymion grimaced. Dealing with Mamoru was starting to get annoying and troublesome. After he turned Serenity, he was going to have to see if he could do something about him.

“A little warning would have been nice, Serenity,” he growled. “You could have seriously hurt me there.”

“Warning? I don’t owe you any such thing! Especially after all the shit you’ve been pulling? You’re lucky I’m letting you live, for now.” Usagi said almost cryptically, making Endymion take a step back. Had she just threatened his life again? He looked into her eyes and froze when he saw how _hard_ and steely they were. She was not joking.

“Are we really going to play this game again, Serenity? We both know you don’t have it in you to kill me.”

She glared at him obviously pissed off before she disappeared. And re-appeared two inches in front of his face, the sword he was holding wasn’t in his grasp anymore. It was in hers and was pointing directly…well…this was going to be interesting.

“This is _not_ a game, Endymion,” she hissed at him. “You stopped making this a game when you decided to trick me into believing that you were Mamoru for four months! Any sympathy that I had for you disappeared tonight when I learned the truth of what you did.” She disappeared again before he could be moved to reply. He had been distracted by the raw emotion in her eyes. He had seen her disappointed and distraught before, but this? This was a new emotion that he had never seen before.

When Serenity re-appeared, his sword _still_ in her possession, he finally decided to speak.

“How else could I have gotten what I wanted? God knows if you had known I was still in Darkness, we would have continued to fight. Besides, this way I was able to get the upper hand.”

She scowled at him. The strong princess he remembered shining through.

“Now, just come with me, Serenity,” Endymion continued and did what he had said that he wouldn’t do. Asking her a second time to join him. “I know that you are tired of fighting me, and I am tired of fighting you. We are meant to be together. So make it easy on yourself and come with me. If you do, you’ll have everything that you ever wanted.”

The same offer again. The one-millionth time could be the charm.

But Serenity, being the stubborn girl that she was, refused him again.

“Did you _not_ hear what I just said, Endymion, or are you implying selective hearing again? I’m not coming with you. This fight ends with your death.”

He chuckled, “And again, we both know that you don’t have it in you to kill me. You tried once and faltered, that’s why our crystals brought us back. And you could have easily killed me a few moments ago, but you didn’t. Admit it, Serenity, you _can’t_ kill me.” He crossed his arms in front of his chest as he watched her think this over.

He was right and she really hated that he was. But then again, she knew something that he didn’t. He would die, just not by her hand. She sighed and threw him back his sword. He caught it easily, even though he was slightly taken aback by the motion.

“You’re right,” she whispered softly. “I can’t kill you, but don’t you dare think that you’re safe. Someone else will kill you and when that day comes, I will relish it because then I will finally be at peace.”

And then she was gone before Endymion could even fathom to reply.


	5. Break the Spell

_I could fight you ‘til the end_  
_But I will lose you if I win_  
 _So I guess I’ll just keep on giving_  
 _Into you like I always do_  
 _No matter how I try_  
 _Maybe could it be_  
 _That you’re the part of me_  
 _That’s keeping me alive?_  
 _This feeling is far from sober_  
 _There’s beauty buried deep inside_  
 _You’re the only one who gets me high_  
 _And I know it’s far from over_  
 _As you can see_  
 _You’re the part of me_  
 _That’s keeping me alive_

_~ Break the Spell ~ Daughtry_

* * *

_“You’re right,” she whispered softly. “I can’t kill you, but don’t you dare think that you’re safe. Someone else will kill you and when that day comes, I will relish in it because then I will finally be at peace.”_

_And then she was gone before Endymion could reply._

Luckily he was so used to her saying something meant to stun him and then disappearing, that he didn’t even stop to think. He followed her. When he reappeared he was on a bustling city sidewalk and it was late morning. His armor reflected the sunlight, but people didn’t pay him much mind. _Of course,_ he thought, _she had run back to Los Angeles, just like last time she ran_. Only this time, he knew she had a motive. She was here to alert the Outer Senshi what was going on. Typical, when in doubt, get some back up.

He searched the crowd and saw her golden hair further up and began pushing his way through the crowd. While he ran after her, he thought over what she had said before she disappeared. Someone else would kill him? And the way she said it, it didn’t sound like she was guessing. She knew for a fact that someone else was going to kill him. So that was what Helios was doing back. The future, which was supposed to be at peace after the war, wasn’t. It was still in turmoil and it was because of his death.

Well, that was another hindrance on his plan, but he wasn’t too concerned. A few months ago, he would have been bothered by the fact that someone was going to kill him. But that was before his ‘future daughter’ had shown up telling him how Serenity would fall to the Darkness. She hadn’t and had wound up destroying all his plans. So, he no longer put stock in these people coming from the future and telling him how things were going to happen. As Serenity had said back then, “the future isn’t set in stone.”

Endymion caught up with her as she was entering a park (what else?) and grabbed her upper arm roughly. She tried to pull away, but he only tightened his grip.

“Stop trying to run from me,” he hissed into her ear. “You know, I will always find you.”

“Let me go,” she hissed back. But he refused to, dragging her deeper into the park, hoping that there wouldn’t be as many people. “Endymion, I’m serious. Let. Me. Go.” She pulled, trying to get out of his grip.

“Why? So you can just go off and disappear again? I don’t think so, Serenity. You’re coming with me, whether you like it or not.” He turned her around so that way she was facing him, and he could see in her eyes how much she hated him. The eyes that once held love, desire - which was really only just a few hours ago - were now hard and steely with anger and betrayal.

“I warned you, Endymion,” she seethed and then he winced as he felt something stinging his arm. He let go as the pain increased. As soon as he did, the pain stopped and Serenity was several feet away from him.

“Well, look who’s decided to use her crystal for her own selfish needs,” he drawled as he flexed his arm to see if anything was broken.

“Out of curiosity, do you only talk because you like the sound of your own voice?” She snapped at him, feeling her anger bubble up. She was tired of his games. Why couldn’t he just leave her alone?

“Aren’t we feisty?” he asked staring down at his Moon Princess. Maybe turning her to the Darkness wouldn’t be as hard as he thought. She was already tainted due to their activities over the last few months. Maybe that had expanded to more than just her behavior in bed. His eyes lit up at the thought. He had expected her to put up a fight; hopefully this meant that this wouldn’t be hard as he thought it would be. He took a threatening step towards her.

Her eyes narrowed dangerously. She kept the Crystal’s power crackling at her fingertips just in case.

“Don’t be like this, Serenity,” he whispered taking another step forward. “If you come with me, we could be so happy together. Remember how you felt after we make love? We can have that feeling all the time.”

The idea was _so_ tempting. The words her mother had said to her before Endymion’s appearance, repeated in her mind. _The other option is you stop fighting. Follow your heart._ But there was a difference. Follow your heart and not your raging libido. She was going to fight him, just like before. And Usagi was going to continue to fight until this was over. Or until she was dead whichever came first.

He saw the momentary lust in his princess’ eyes and he thought that he had finally done it. That he had finally gotten her to come to his side. But he should have known better. For in a second that lust was gone and replaced by her usual stubbornness. He groaned in frustration, why couldn’t he have his way just once? He took another step towards her, but this one was more violent and Usagi prepared herself for a fight.

However, before Endymion could advance further, a sword and a familiar staff blocked his path.

“That is as far as you go, Endymion,” Sailor Pluto’s determined voice rang out. Usagi looked up and slightly smiled at the appearance of her Outer Senshi.

“You really think you can stop me, Pluto?” Endymion’s voice asked, frustrated beyond belief. He was very close to losing his temper. This was _not_ what he had planned for when he went after Serenity.

“We can and will, Earth Prince,” Uranus spat out, she was also just as furious. The Outer Senshi had been very shocked to feel their princess’ presence back in Los Angeles. Why would she be back here when they thought that everything had returned back to normal before their departure? Their question was answered when they felt Serenity’s fear through their bond and rushed to her side. What they saw shocked them more. Endymion was back to his Dark ways and trying to get Serenity to turn too. When he took threatening steps towards her, they decided to intercede.

Endymion stared at the determined faces of Serenity’s Outer Senshi and knew that he was at a severe disadvantage. He would not be able to defeat them _and_ Serenity. This battle was pointless but he couldn’t help but laugh as he realized there was another battle in Japan that could possibly turn things in his favor. His laughing increased.

“What is so damn funny?” Uranus seethed her grip on the hilt of her sword tightening.

“You can fight me all you want,” he replied. “But why waste precious energy when there is even a bigger fight waiting for you upon your return to Japan. Or have you forgotten about the Inner Senshi and my Shitennou?” He watched with snarky pride as Serenity’s eyes widened in alarm. So she _had_ forgotten. “Ah, you did,” he tsked her. “Some princess you are, Serenity. Forgetting about your precious soldiers and leaving them in harms way.”

“What did you do to them, you bastard?” She exclaimed and threw a ball of white energy at him. He just laughed harder as he disappeared before the ball hit him. Instead of making her feel better, it only made her feel worse. Endymion was right. What sort of princess was she when she left the Inner Senshi and the Shitennou alone? What has happened to them? She wondered as the Outer Senshi turned to her, concern written on their faces.

“Usagi, what has happened? How is Endymion still evil?” Neptune asked her.

“He tricked us all,” she replied. “The night of the great battle – he awakened the Golden Crystal. When I stabbed him, instead of my Crystal healing him, his did and since he was still in Darkness when it was awakened, he remained. The last few months, he’s been fooling me and the others, collecting energy to turn me.” Her eyes were devoid of all emotion. It hurt too much to know the man she was supposed to be with had betrayed her in such a way.

The Outer Senshi exchanged looks, seeing how broken their princess had become. They had only seen her like this once before and that was when she had first come to LA. She hadn’t wanted to fight, but eventually that changed. Now though, Usagi looked utterly broken and that no matter what she didn’t see the point in fighting anymore.

“Has something else happened?” Pluto asked, her voice calm. “I felt a disturbance in the Time Gate earlier.”

“Helios came back to tell me what I already had figured out about Endymion,” she replied. “And that in the future Endymion is killed and not by my hand.”

Unlike the Inner Senshi and the Shitennou, Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto had taken the news of Endymion’s death in stride. Then again they had never really cared for him, so to hear of his imminent death barely brushed them.

“Who kills him?” Uranus asked, sort of hoping that it was her. It would serve that pond scum right if eh died by her hand.

“A man named Prince Demando of Nemesis,” Usagi transformed before they could discuss the name. Not that it mattered since they didn’t know it, but still. Who was this guy? And why would he kill Endymion in the future? “But we can’t stand around here talking about _that_. The Inner Senshi and the Shitennou are back in Japan and who knows what Endymion has done to them?” Her voice broke into hysterics since it was her fault if anything happened to them. She shouldn’t have left them behind.

“Alright, let’s go,” Uranus said sheathing her sword and taking Moon’s hand as they formed a circle to teleport.         

* * *

Lola – the head of the Doom and Gloom girls – felt a smile grace her lips as she looked around her. Her fellow sisters had done well with “playing” with the Inner Senshi and the Shitennou. It had almost been a slaughter for her sisters because the Shitennou knew how they fought since they had previously worked for the same side. But the Inner Senshi did not, so they were easily tricked and used as leverage against the Shitennou. Lola continued to smirk as she stared at the coffins made of vines. Inside lay Serenity and Endymion’s guard, now she just needed more orders of what to do with them.

A flash of light distracted her and when it cleared her smirk disappeared. Standing in the clearing now was Serenity’s Outer Senshi and Serenity herself. The princess stared around and felt her mouth drop open. Her Senshi and the Shitennou were entombed in coffins made of vines. Her eyes flashed to the Doom and Gloom girls standing before them. Anger bubbled in her veins and could have killed when her eyes landed on Lola.

“Well, if it isn’t Princess Serenity. We were wondering when you would show up to avenge your guard.”

“You did this to them?” She seethed.

“On Endymion’s orders, yes.”

The Outer Senshi stood behind her waiting for their orders. There were five of these Doom and Gloom girls while there were only four of them and they had a feeling that Serenity was going to take two of them on herself. They didn’t doubt that she could, because they had seen their princess grow over the last few years, but the only thing that concerned them was if her anger would get the better of her.

 _I’m not concerned about that,_ her voice rang in their heads. _But you are correct into believing that I will be taking two of them on. The blue and lilac ones are mine. After you defeat them, get the girls and guys out of those tombs and make sure they are okay._ She broke contact with them before they could accept their orders. But Serenity had not doubt that they would.

“All right, I think it’s time we crashed this party,” Uranus said turning around, her eyes landing on a Doom and Gloom girl with orange skin. “You’ll do.” She grinned and jumped pulling out her sword.

All hell began to break loose as the Outers began to fight the youma. The lilac Doom and Gloom Girl and Lola stared at Sailor Moon waiting for her to make her move. They knew that she was a weak fighter and didn’t understand why she would choose to take two of them on. It didn’t matter to them, it would just be one more Sailor Senshi that would be captured. And not just any Senshi, but Endymion’s love. Lola smirked, a plan forming in her head. She had been after him since he had awakened them all those months ago. But he was all about Serenity, so if she _mysteriously_ died while trying to rescue her fellow Senshi… Well, she could have a straight shot at him.

“I’m surprised, Princess Serenity,” she spat as her lilac sister – Deirdre – got into position to ambush the princess. “That you would take two of us on when it is know that _you_ are the Senshi’s weakest link.”

A fire burned in the girl’s eyes that the youma shuddered at. They had heard the rumors of the way she looked when she was about to launch her death move and were now slightly shaken. But Lola was determined to have her way. She never did understand what Endymion saw in this pathetic girl.

“I may have been a weak fighter a long time ago, but right now I’m about to become your worst nightmare,” her eyes turned cold and her mouth was set in a solid line. This wasn’t the face of the bubbly, crybaby, and klutzy Sailor Moon. This was the face of the defender of love and justice. She threw her leg back and grinned in satisfaction when it collided, solidly, with Deirdre’s stomach sending the Doom and Gloom girl flying backwards. Moon turned her eyes on Lola, who grimaced. Her sister wasn’t done just yet, she just needed to buy some time so that way her sister could ambush the princess.

“All right, Moon brat, let’s dance,” she said sending out her arm full of long vines.

* * *

Sailor Uranus gasped in a breath of air as she felt a powerful punch hit her stomach. It didn’t take her too long to recover, for wind was her element and she couldn’t lose it as easily as other people. But that punch still hurt and this bitch was in for it now. She powered up her sword and made eye contact with her Doom and Gloom girl.

“Space Sword Blaster!” She exclaimed and a beam of light surrounded her sword as she dashed forward and cut the youma in half. With a final scream, the Doom and Gloom girl was gone. But not without a few nicks. That last attack had taken a lot of energy out of Uranus, not to mention that there was a deep wound on her right arm that was bleeding out heavily.

She shook it off knowing that her mission was not done. She approached the vine coffins that held a Sailor Senshi and a Shitennou. Carefully, she cut them open and was slightly relieved to find that they contained Sailor Mercury and Zoicite before collapsing into a heap on the ground.

“Sailor Uranus!” Mercury exclaimed as she sat up from her coffin. Her eyes quickly took in the scene of the Outers fighting their Doom and Gloom girl before she rushed over to Uranus’ aid. Zoicite handed her a piece of his uniform to make a tourniquet that would suppress the blood flow on Uranus’ arm.

“Hey Mercury, Zoicite,” she said her eyes slightly drooping from the blood loss.

“Ssh,” Mercury whispered. “Save your energy so your body can heal.”

Uranus nodded before she let her drooping eyes win. Her mission was done, she could sleep for a little while. Sleep felt so good.

* * *

Sailor Neptune tried not to wince as she heard the final scream of Uranus’ Doom and Gloom Girl and her Doom and Gloom girl’s screech at the loss of her sister. The pink Doom and Gloom girl started attacking wildly now, with vines coming at her from all sides. She tried dodging, but eventually tripped over one of them. This gave the youma the advantage as she shot out more vines to surround Neptune completely. She felt herself power up to escape her prison.

“Submarine Reflection!” She exclaimed and felt her waters break through the vines and finally attack the Doom and Gloom Girl that they were attached to. She screamed as her sister before her, until she was nothing but a pile of wet dust on the ground.

“Neptune, are you okay?” Zoicite rushed over to her aid. She peered up at him and nodded.

“I’m fine, but would you mind?” She pointed behind her to the coffins of vines behind her. Zoicite nodded and approached them as he drew his sword. He carefully cut open the coffins to reveal Sailor Jupiter and Nephrite. They opened their eyes and jumped into defensive positions as they glanced around them. Their eyes fell on Zoicite and Neptune behind him.

“What happened?” Nephrite asked as he stood. “The last thing I remember was trying to rescue Sailor Jupiter from the vines.”

“They trapped us in coffins,” Zoicite explained. “And then the Outer Senshi and Sailor Moon showed up.” He pointed to where Sailor Moon and Sailor Pluto were still fighting. They all stared not knowing what to do to help them.

* * *

Sailor Pluto was leaning heavily on her Time Key as she tried to stay standing. This Doom and Gloom girl was tougher than she looked. Not only did she shoot out vines, but she also shot flames down those vines. Pluto had many burns on her legs and upper arms from where she had gotten caught for a few moments before she could break free. But what was killing her was the fact that one of her ribs was broken severely. She could feel the bone trying to poke through the skin. Every time she breathed it burned.

“Who would have thought that the Guardian of Time would be the weakest Sailor Senshi?” The Doom and Gloom girl mocked and Pluto grimaced. She _was_ the Guardian of Time, she could easily defeat this youma trash. She stepped back from her Time Key and lifted it slightly to call out her attack. Before she could, vines encircled her torso, crushing her already broken rib. Pluto gasped out in pain and saw black spots in her vision. But she couldn’t pass out. Not yet. Not before she killed this threat to her princess.

Besides if she passed out now…she wouldn’t wake up again. Pluto was certain of that. Yet she couldn’t breathe and the dark spots were spreading. _Forgive me, Princess Serenity._ She thought before she succumbed.

“ _Moon Cosmos Star Shards!”_ A voice exclaimed from across the park and the Doom and Gloom girls had to back away from the oncoming shards of white. The Senshi and the two Shitennou watched as the vines that held Pluto were cut away by the bright shards of light. Her body fell and landed in Sailor Moon’s arms. She flew towards Sailor Mercury and gently placed her down on the ground. She then turned back around and threw her tiara at the Doom and Gloom Girl who dared to hurt her friend. It hurled through the air and surrounded her before she disappeared without a scream.

Her tiara came back to her outstretched hand before becoming her Moon symbol once more.

The Doom and Gloom girls that remained finally regained their sight, but what they saw wasn’t pleasant. The Inner Senshi and Shitennou were free from their prisons and Sailor Moon was pissed. Even though she had been through hell while fighting them. Parts of her Sailor fuku were missing from where Lola had attacked her with thorny vines and electricity. Deirdre’s left arm was bleeding heavily from where Sailor Moon had attacked her with her wing barrettes. Sailor Moon knew that she would be the next one to go, she just had to figure out how. They would be pissed that not only had her and her Senshi freed their captives but that three of their sisters were dead as well. The obvious kill would be stupid to go after, a part of her knew, but she was so tired of fighting that she wanted this to end and she didn’t care how.

She flew straight at Deirdre, dodging when she tried to stop her with vines. When she was within a few feet she simply touched her and she erupted in a violent ball of light. Sometimes using the crystal was the best idea.

Or, as she felt the vines wrap around her wings bringing her down hard to the ground below, the worst idea ever. Her body protested as it met concrete and she knew she had suffered a few broken bones. What really hurt was the electricity that came after the fall. And kept coming. Black spots danced across her vision and she knew if this continued she was going to die.

“Sailor Moon!” She heard her friends exclaim in desperation. At least they were safe now, which was all that mattered. She winced as another bout of electricity went through her and at the same time her transformation finally gave way. Her body was too weak to keep it up anymore. Well, this wasn’t good; the next attack would kill her for sure. And yet she still had so much to do. Endymion was still evil and with her gone, who was going to stop him?

Wait, speaking of Endymion, where was he? Considering how much he claimed to love her she thought that he would at least be here to rescue her from her death.

A flash and she felt the vines give way. Someone had rescued her, but who? She fought back against the blackness that threatened to claim her to see who it was. But she should have known better. Endymion would not let her die. She saw the back of his cape and knew that he was about to finish that last Doom and Gloom girl.

“Lola, what do you think you’re doing?” His voice shot out hard and cold. He had ordered her to capture the Inner Senshi and the Shitennou, not to nearly kill Serenity. “This is not what I ordered you to do.”

“I’m sorry, Prince Endymion but she interfered with my orders,” she replied her expression almost fearful. She had never thought to see this part of him but now that she had she knew that she was in for it.

“That doesn’t give you reason to almost kill her!” He exclaimed now fully pissed off. “Especially considering the fact that you’ve wanted to be in her place since I awakened you. But that’s fine because now you will be.” He rushed forward, his sword drawn and thrusted it through her stomach. She opened her mouth to scream, but nothing came out before she was gone.

The sword in his hand drooped before he could turn to face her. But what he saw nearly broke his heart. Her body was beaten almost to the point of being broken. If he had come a moment later, she would have been dead. He went to her, taking her body into his arms.

“I’m sorry, my love,” he whispered placing a kiss on her forehead, which caused her moon symbol to glow. The dress she wore as Princess Serenity encircled her frame. The usual pristine white dress was soon darkened by her blood from her various wounds.

“Endymion,” she whispered before she finally lost consciousness. He sighed and stood up with her in his arms. This wasn’t how he wanted this to end. But it gave him the opportunity he had been searching for.

“You’re crazy if you think we’re just going to let you walk away with her,” Mars snapped.

“Do you really have a choice? You’re in no form to fight me, besides you can’t stop me. I have what I want now.” He looked lovingly down on his Moon Princess.

“No! _Mars Flame Sniper!_ ” She exclaimed a fire arrow going straight for him. He sighed and created a portal to the Dark Kingdom. He stepped through it and disappeared with Princess Serenity.

“No! Serenity!” The Senshi screamed, but it was no use.

She was gone to the Dark Kingdom with Endymion.


	6. Make Me Wanna Die

_Taste me, drink my soul_  
_Show me all the things that I shouldn’t know_  
 _And there’s a blue moon on the rise_  
 _I had everything opportunities for eternity_  
 _And I could belong to the night_  
 _Your eyes, your eyes_  
 _I can see in your eyes, your eyes_  
 _Everything in your eyes, your eyes_  
 _You make me wanna die_  
 _I’ll never be good enough_  
 _You make me wanna die_  
 _And everything you love will burn up in the light_  
 _And every time I look into your eyes_  
 _You make me wanna die_

 _~ Make Me Wanna Die ~The Pretty Reckless_           

* * *

Usagi had experienced this once before, and that had been the first time she died when the energies of the Golden Crystal, the Silver Crystal of the future and hers had combined. She had awoken on her former home – the Moon Kingdom – and in Mamoru’s arms. This time though she woke up in a darker place, one that reeked of evil. She was also in a lot of pain, which surprised her. If she had died yet again, then why was she feeling this amount of pain? And if she was still alive, then why hadn’t her crystal healed her? She looked around her, but couldn’t see anything except something made of black onyx. What exactly had happened? And where was she? Had Endymion saved her? Usagi’s memory flashed with the sway of his cape, him yelling at the final Doom and Gloom Girl, killing her and then apologizing to Usagi. She sighed as she remembered the way it felt to have her body be held in his arms, even though her body had been severely beaten. She must have lost consciousness after that, because she didn’t remember anything afterwards.

Endymion must have taken her to the Dark Kingdom and also took her Silver Crystal so that way the brainwash could take effect. How he was able to take it away from her, she could only hazard a guess at. She sighed again, trying to shake off the pain that was starting to numb her brain. If Usagi wasn’t careful, she was going to lose consciousness again which wouldn’t be good. She had to figure out a way to get out of here before she lost herself to Darkness. Not that it would matter, because she was severely handicapped. She closed her eyes in frustration even as her mother’s words floated through her head.

 _Stop fighting and give into the Darkness. Just as long as you are happy…_ the frustration increased. What had her mother been thinking telling her that? Was her happiness really more important than the safety of the universe? She didn’t think so. A shadow hovered over her, which didn’t surprise her. Considering her injured state, her walls had come down, allowing Endymion full access to their bond. He probably sensed her shock, pain and annoyance as soon as she awoke, and he was now checking up on her. She braced herself to face him for the first time since he had rescued her from certain death.

Usagi opened her eyes and came face to face with those familiar deep azure blue eyes that she had fallen in love with over a millennium ago. A sigh died on her tongue, as she saw the worry on his face disappear and turn to adoration. He reached down and cupped her cheek as gently as he could. Despite her best intentions, she leaned into that touch. Even though, he was evil, she still loved him with all of her heart.

“You gave me a scare, Serenity,” he whispered. “If it wasn’t for you lowering your walls, I would have never had known that you were so close to death.” The worry came back into his gaze, but disappeared almost as quickly as it came.

“Yeah, well, it wasn’t _my_ fault that a power hungry youma was let loose,” she replied. His gaze darkened in anger at her approximation of blame. She knew that she was pushing his buttons, but seriously, he was the reason that that bitch had been set loose to attack her friends in the first place.

“Still so sharp tongued after what we went through?” He clucked his tongue. “You may have been slightly out of it because of your injuries, but the way you said my name after I rescued you was no lie. Even though I’m evil, you still love me and want me like you used to. And once you’ve been turned to Darkness, we will have it for the rest of our lives.” The determination that she had come to despise ever since he had tried to lure her to the Darkness so many years ago was evident in his voice. But this time she hated it because Usagi knew that Endymion had her right where he wanted her. She was injured, without the crystal and in the Dark Kingdom. She was as good as turned.

He smirked as he saw the realization of the situation she was in flash across her eyes. He was finally going to get what he wanted after all these years Serenity, mind, body, and soul. He trailed another finger down the side of her face, taking her in one last time before she was changed. He knew that it was going to take a while; he had lived through it and had watched as the Inner Senshi were turned a few years ago. Serenity, though, was a lot stronger willed than the others and himself had been. So hers would probably even take longer.

“Until your transformation is over, my love,” he whispered removing his hand and stepping away from the brainwashing chamber. As soon as he did, bands of purple and black energy engulfed the chamber and began to pulse. Usagi felt herself growing weaker because of the pain from her injuries and the onslaught of dark energy into the confined space. _Don’t fight it_ her head whispered to her. She sighed. Maybe her mother was right. After everything she had gone through to get Mamrou back, she had failed. But now she would have the opportunity to be with him like she had always wanted. Hadn’t she thought earlier that fighting another battle would be pointless when she fount out that Endymion still existed? Usagi closed her eyes and finally gave into her brain’s exhaustion. By doing so, she also gave up the fight that she had been fighting for years.

She gave into the Darkness.

* * *

Endymion nearly fell over when he felt Serenity’s ultimate decision. He had seen her anger when she realized where he had taken her and had thought that she would fight tooth and nail until she succumbed to her injuries. Her giving in so quickly, he had not planned for. But hopefully, that meant her transformation wouldn’t take that long. He stood over the chamber and watched as the dark energy pulsed around his Moon Princess. Her face was perfectly serene, something he hadn’t ever seen before. Usually those in the chamber had faces that were pained and tormented. This was very strange. But then again, Serenity wasn’t normal, she never had been. She was extraordinary.

His eyes closed trying to imagine what it would be like once she was finally turned. He had been imagining this scenario for years. Now, it was almost a reality. A grin formed on his lips, as he reopened his eyes. Reality was so much better than imagination and memories could be. Goddess knows he had learned that when they had finally slept together a month ago.

“I’ve been waiting years for this moment, Serenity,” Endymion whispered. “Please try not to keep me waiting too much longer.”

* * *

Usagi had woken up in her own personal hell. Well, okay, not hell. It was actually pretty nice wherever it was. The last thing she remembered was passing out from the pain of her injuries and giving into the Dark energy surrounding her chamber. Now, she was in a soft bed and curled up into someone’s side. She inhaled deeply and smiled somewhat. She would recognize that scent anywhere.

His body moved pressing her deeper into him and something stirred near her hip. She smirked knowing what it was, and what she was about to do. Usagi stopped though, not believing her boldness. Yes, over the last month, she had grown a little bit more _adventurous_ in their love making and that moment the night before where she had reveled at the power she had held over Mamoru (who she now knew was actually Endymion) was scary. But now, she felt nothing about it. In fact, there was something in her that she didn’t recognize. It was Darkness, which meant that her transformation had been completed. She was now evil. She slightly let out a sigh. She didn’t feel that much different from before, just now there was this _other_ power inside of her and shockingly enough, it felt good.

The thing stirring by her hop was now poking her most sensitive area and she groaned at the contact. Well, _someone_ was finally awake. She opened her eyes and looked into the ones of her prince. He kissed her lightly on the mouth, before deepening it quickly. His kisses, as always, were addictive and she couldn’t get enough.

The kisses continued and before she knew it, Usagi was on her back and he was on top of her, pressing her deep into the mattress. His lips left hers and she was finally able to catch her breath. A smirk was on his face as he leaned back down.

“That was the best ‘good morning’ we’ve had in a while, Sere,” he said. “I’m sorry, about what happened yesterday. You know how jealous I get over you, and considering out recent problems…I just didn’t know what to think.”

 _Wait, problems? What problems? And what does he mean yesterday? Unless…oh god…_ she realized what had happened. Rei, Minako, Makoto, and Ami had told her about their experiences in the chamber. They had experienced these alternate universes where they were already turned to Darkness. This must be one of those universes. And in this universe, her and Endymion were having problems. Not to mention he thought she was cheating on him.

Maybe she was wrong. This just might be her own personal hell after all.

“Endy,” she heard herself reply. “I’ve told you many times before, there will never be another man. It’s always been you and the fact you still don’t seem to grasp that concept concerns me.” Usagi froze that had not been her that answered him. It had been her, but not _her_. Because that wasn’t confusing enough. Usagi sighed and pushed back on Endymion’s chest so that way she could get up. But he wouldn’t let her; instead he captured her lips with his and deepened it so fast that her head began to spin. His tongue delved into her mouth, which caused her to moan. They broke apart and his head fell to her shoulder where he kissed her lightly.

“What was that?” She asked him surprised, but her breath hitched as he lightly outlined her body with his fingers. Her eyes locked with his, and he smiled an evil smile at her.

“It’s been too long, Sere,” he said, his voice husky, which caused her to shiver. His lips smiled in that way that always made her quiver with anticipation. Endymion took that as he cue and began to work his way down towards her stomach. Her body began to heat up as he continued to touch her in all the right places. She knew that this was wrong she shouldn’t be doing this. But it felt too good to stop, and she didn’t care.

Besides this wasn’t _really_ her anyway. This was the alternate universe her and in reality…well, if this was going to be her new reality then she was really going to like it here. She ran her fingers through his hair and brought him back to her. Usagi kissed him deeply and didn’t stop until they were both left breathless. As they pulled away, his eyes met hers and there was a look of confusion there.

“What was that for?” He asked.

“Do I really need a reason?” She countered, smirking but he still looked confused. She sighed. “Look, if you want a reason I can always just leave.” She made to get up, but his body pinned her back down to the mattress with a growl emitting from his throat.

“Don’t do that,” he said his lips pressing to her most sensitive spot – her collarbone. She let out a moan and this time it was his turn to smirk. “Now, where were we?” He asked in a low voice. Her hands drifted downward and brushed the erect member of his anatomy. He hissed and locked gazes with her; her only response was to raise her eyebrow to challenge him. He cocked his in return and lowered his head to her collarbone again. She bit back her moan, knowing that if she let it go it would only fuel his ego on further. This was now a battle and she was never one to back down from a battle.

Usagi froze. That last thought was not hers; it was the alternate universe version of her. Damn. Did Darkness make her into the ultimate sex kitten, or was that just from being with Endymion for so long? She didn’t know, and she couldn’t really do anything about this challenge now. So she gave in further to this alternate universe version of her and let her guide her next move. Her hands were still down near his precious brain, and she was going to use that to her advantage. She tightened her grip and stroked her thumb downward. He groaned right into her ear.

“Gods, you don’t know what you do to me, Serenity,” he whispered into her ear. Then he gripped her hips and flipped them over so she was on top of him. She gazed down at him, his hands still on her hips as he guided her directly onto his cock. She felt him slide in and she couldn’t help but groan out loud as she felt him fill her completely. He jerked upwards, pushing himself deeper into her, causing them both to moan. Usagi leaned down and captured his lips with her own. Their tongues danced while they tried to pleasure the other. She felt her orgasm build and reach its crest, he must have felt it too because he broke away from her lips and increased his speed. The tension unwound and she cried out and collapsed onto Endymion’s chest.

He thrusted up a few more times before she felt him release inside of her. With weak limbs she lifted herself off of him, but he quickly brought her back down onto his chest. His arms wound around her and pulled her even closer to him, so close that her breasts were pressed flat against his chest.

“Just stay a little bit longer like this, Serenity,” he whispered pressing a kiss to her forehead. “I love you.”

“I love you too,” she whispered back and fell asleep.

* * *

Sailor Mars fell to her knees after the portal that carried Endymion and Usagi to the Dark Kingdom disappeared. They had failed in their mission again. They had been sworn to protect her and they couldn’t do it. First they failed when they turned to Darkness. When they had come back to Light, they felt like this was their second chance. But it apparently wasn’t meant to be. They had failed again – and this time it was worse. Not only had Endymion taken her, but she had also been on the brink of death.

A hand touched her shoulder, and she looked up into a familiar pair of green eyes. Jadeite was frowning down at her and she knew it was because he could feel her despair through their bond. He kneeled down beside her and offered her his hand to help her up.

 _There’s nothing we can do right now_ , he sent through their bond. _But take care of our injured and then plan a way to get her back_. Mars looked into his eyes and nodded. She took his hand and brought herself back to her feet. She turned and made her way back to her fellow Senshi. Pluto had regained consciousness and was having her two broken ribs and various burns treated by Zoicite. Neptune had Uranus’ head in her lap as they both napped off their exhaustion. Mercury was tending to Venus who had taken a rather pointy thorn through her left side. Kunzite was there holding her hand as she was being stitched and bandaged. Nephrite and Jupiter were standing near by watching all of this.

But upon Mars’ approach, everyone turned their attention to her. Their eyes penetrated through her and she almost felt like flushing at their intense gaze. But that wasn’t how her guardian planet had created her to be. So instead of blushing and shying away from their stares, she lashed out as only a Senshi of Mars could.

“What the hell are you guys staring at?” She asked a tad bit pissed off. What were they doing staring at her when they had wounded members in their party and their princess was missing?

“You look different, Mars,” Venus commented approaching her. This caused her to raise her eyebrows and examine herself. Sure enough she did look different. Her choker, which she never usually saw was now dangling into her vision. She lifted up the charm to examine it and saw her planetary symbol, which hung from her new choker that was crafted out of red beads instead of the usual ribbon. The fuku body suit was the same length and color, but her sleeves were now shimmers instead of the fitted cuffs that she had previously. The bow in the back was now longer as well and the button that held her bow in front was now a red crystal. She looked back to Venus and the others and was shocked to see that their appearances had not changed.

“What happened to me?” She asked. Mercury stood up and came closer to her as she inspected every aspect of the new look. Her computer was also out to analyze the change. She clicked away, before the computer finally beeped.

“You’ve experienced a power up,” Mercury finally concluded.

“A power up? Is that even possible?” She asked totally bewildered. A power up sounded more like something out of a video game than an actual thing.

“I think so. I mean Sailor Moon has gone through two power ups since this whole thing started. So why can’t we?” Jupiter added into the conversation.

“Jupiter is right,” Mercury said. “Sailor Moon has gone through two power ups and it’s usually when she is in desperate need of power. I think the same thing happened to you when you saw Endymion summon the portal that would take him and Serenity back to the Dark Kingdom.”

“She has a point,” Jadeite said from her side. “As soon as that portal appeared, I sensed something from you. Then you yelled out an attack that I didn’t recognize.”

“ _Mars Flame Sniper_ ,” Mars whispered. “I didn’t even think about how weird that attack was, I was just so determined to stop Endymion from taking her that I felt the usual fire and screamed it out.”

“That’s good,” a hoarse Uranus chimed in. The group of Inners and Jadeite looked at the newly awakened Outer Senshi. “Now that Endymion has Serenity, it’s going to take a lot of power from us to even try and get her back. With Mars powering up, the rest of you are sure to follow in her footsteps.”

“Wait a second, if a new attack signals a Senshi power up, then doesn’t that mean that Venus and Jupiter have already powered up?” Jadeite asked, but was met with questioning glances from everyone else. “Because while we were in Darkness, Jupiter had her Thunder Dragon attack and Venus had her Love Me Chain attack. Both are different from their usual attacks.”

“I hate to say this, but he has a point,” Zoicite murmured. “So, if that’s the case, why haven’t Jupiter and Venus’ fukus changed like Mars’ has?”

Jupiter and Venus exchanged looks with the other, knowing that they didn’t have contact with the attacks that they had used while they were in Darkness. They would have felt that power by now, wouldn’t they?

“Easy,” Neptune softly said from beside Uranus. “Those weren’t a natural power up. The attacks they used were fueled by Darkness. However, since they _have_ used the attack before, it shouldn’t take too much for them to receive the power again. The same goes with you too, Mercury.”

The three Inner Senshi exchanged looks again. Well, it was worth a shot, wasn’t it? Venus was first as she closed her eyes and opened her mind. She could feel the new power on the edges of her mind but every time she went to grab it, it would evade her grasp. She knew why, of course. The last time she had used that power it was for her own selfish needs. Now, she needed to prove to herself that the reason she needed that power was not for her own selfish gains again. An image of Usagi’s broken body flashed through her mind. It wouldn’t have happened if she had been strong enough to stop the Doom and Gloom girl she had faced off against. But instead she had fallen into their trap and had ended up entombed in vines. Now because of her powerlessness Usagi was in Endymion’s grasp. Warmth flushed through her body and she opened her eyes.

Upon opening them, she saw the others staring at her. She followed their gaze and took in her new appearance. Just like Mars, Venus’ choker was now made of yellow-orange beads and had her planetary symbol dangling from the center. Her sleeves were also made of shimmer and her back bow had long ribbons too. The button in the center of her front bow was now a yellow-orange crystal heart and the final new change, was the red chain that hung around her waist. She lightly touched it knowing it was her Love Me Chain.

Jupiter followed her leader’s lead and closed her eyes. Just like with Venus, she could feel the new power on the edges of her mind but it was eluding her grasp. She mentally sighed and left herself open. She knew that she had made mistakes and had let down her princess twice. The first time was turning to Darkness and the second was her own damn fault. She was a fighter, and sometimes she let her battle instincts overcome her logical mind. Today was one of those days. The fight with the Doom and Gloom girl had seemed simple, at first, but then the vines and the fire had complicated things. But she didn’t pay much mind to it. Instead she kept fighting. That’s why she didn’t notice she was headed into a trap until it was too late. And because of that, she had gotten herself and Nephrite trapped. Which in turn lead to Sailor Moon and her broken body. The sight made her heart ache. She had taken a vow to protect her, but she had failed twice now. The warmth flew through her body unexpectedly causing her to open her eyes.

The looks on the others faces told her that she had gone through the Senshi power up just like Venus and Mars had. The only differences were that her chocker and crystal were green and as she felt a weight on top of her head, she had a crown of some kind on the top of her head.

“Oak leaves,” Nephrite said from beside her as his fingertips brushed the crown. “That’s interesting.”

“It must have something to do with her new attack,” Zoicite replied also staring at the crown. Mercury glanced around her and sighed. All of her fellow Inner Senshi had upgraded, and she was supposed to go next. But how could she when she didn’t have experience with these new powers like Jupiter and Venus did?

 _Have faith in yourself, Ami,_ Zoicite sent through their bond as his hand took a hold of hers. She smiled. He was always there for her and he was right, as usual. She had to have faith in herself. So she closed her eyes and opened her mind.

It took her longer to feel the new power than the others, but once she did it froze where it appeared. She didn’t have to prove that she was worthy, did she? Mercury wasn’t like the others; she didn’t abuse her new powers when she was in Darkness. _But you do wonder if you belong in the Senshi_ , the power seemed to speak to her. No, that wasn’t true. She knew she belonged in the Senshi. She was the logical one, but what she did question was what stupid bubbles could do. Yes, they confused the enemy for a second, but other than that, they were pretty useless especially against the Doom and Gloom girl that evening. She had dispersed her bubbles to allow Zoicite the opportunity to sneak up on the Doom and Gloom girl and stab her, but it was like she knew what was coming. She had thrown out her arm of vines and they encircled Mercury. That’s why she had been the first to be entombed in vines. And when she had been released, to see her princess so close to the edge of death…

Her heart ached in her chest. Usagi didn’t deserve this and she didn’t know how they were going to rescue her from Endymion’s grasp… Her body flushed with warmth and she smiled as she opened her eyes. What surprised her was she felt a weight around her waist. She looked down and fingered the harp. She raised an eyebrow and wondered what this new power she had was and how the harp played into it.

“All right, so now that we have the power,” Uranus said. “We now need a plan.”

“What about you three?” Kunzite asked. “Don’t you need to power up too?”

“Not really,” Neptune replied. “We’re already strong, but when we transform again we will have the new fukus too.”

“So, as I said before, we need a plan,” Uranus said and looked around at the others.

“Well…”

* * *

Usagi couldn’t remember the last time she had woken up so completely happy. Well, she could, and that was the morning after she had given her virginity to Mamoru (who was really Endymion). When she woke up, Endymion was gone, but a red rose lay on his pillow in his place. This caused her to smile and bring the rose to her nose. The scent was amazing and the memories from a few hours ago replayed themselves in her head. This blissed out feeling couldn’t last, could it? Or was that the point behind this alternate universe? That she could be this blissed out forever, with no more fighting and the love of her life at her side?

She collapsed back onto the pillows, the rose in her hands as she stared at the ceiling. Endymion was right about one thing. The Darkness was barely noticeable unless she really felt for it. That wasn’t what she had been expecting and she also hadn’t expected to feel like herself. So, could she really do this? She sighed. It wasn’t like she had a choice anymore. That’s why she was here. So she had to like this because she was in this – for better or for worse. She pulled a pillow out from under her and put it on her face before letting out a scream of frustration.

It was probably because she was screaming that she didn’t hear the door to the room open. But she did hear it close and she knew that the person in the room with her now was _not_ Endymion or her Senshi. With a frozen heart she removed the pillow from her face, sat up, and looked around. Standing by the door watching her, was a man with white blonde hair that almost looked silver and strikingly violet eyes. She didn’t know who he was but alternate universe Usagi did.

“Demando,” she said. “What are you doing here?”

“I was just making sure that you were okay after what happened yesterday,” he said coming closer. “But apparently, I didn’t have to worry.” His eyes turned darker as he took in her appearance.

Unconsciously, she clutched the sheet around her naked body closer to her. Who he was finally flooded her mind. Prince Demando of Nemesis was not part of the Darkness, as she had first believed. He was visiting their planet to find a way to stop the negative energy from making his planet uninhabitable. While there, he had fallen for Serenity and she had somewhat returned his affection. The only reason she had was because Endymion and her were having problems because she was still thirsting for her Light ways. Demando gave her that. Yesterday, they had been planning a way to get her back to the Light when their emotions had gotten the better of them. They had almost kissed until Endymion walked in on them and started raising hell. He had dragged her away and they had a screaming match before going to sleep.

“Look Demando,” she tried to find the words, but didn’t have to as he joined her on the bed.

“No, don’t start, Serenity,” he replied sounding agitated. “Because I finally figured out how to get you back to the Light. I figured it out last night that it’s Endymion that’s keeping you here in Darkness. Every time you start moving back to Light, he drags you back down. So, the plan is simple, we have to sever your ties with him and the only way I know how to do that so it would be permanent is to kill him.”

Her eyes widened in shock, a protest bubbling to her lips. She couldn’t live without Endymion, by killing him it was like killing a part of her soul. But before she could get it out, Demando leaned in and claimed her lips with his own. Her body was frozen in shock as his icy lips worked over her own. She couldn’t do anything – her brain was totally shocked and paralyzed. What was she supposed to do? Her firsts were raised to fend him off when the door banged open.

“Get your hands off of my wife!” Endymion’s voice exclaimed in rage. The icy lips were gone and Usagi watched as his fist connected with the side of Demando’s face. He collapsed to the ground and Endymion came back to her a face full of concern.

“Are you okay, Serenity?” He whispered as he lifted her chin. She nodded her head a few tears in her eyes. Her lips didn’t taste right and were so cold she didn’t think that they would ever be warm again. His eyes searched hers before leaning down to kiss her. The familiar warmth never came, as a sword pierced through his back and through his abdomen. He looked down, shocked to see the sword before collapsing into her arms. A scream escaped her throat as she clutched at his body. His opened eyes looked at her as he raised an arm and touched her face with his fingers.

“Don’t cry, Serenity,” he whispered. “I love you.” Blood began bubbling over his lips and his eyes closed, for the last time.

“No! Endymion!” She screamed.

* * *

Endymion was pacing just a few feet from the brain wash chamber, getting more anxious by the second. He had been experiencing Serenity’s blissed out state for the last two hours through their bond and couldn’t wait for her to awaken.

“No! Endymion!” He heard Serenity scream. He froze in his pacing before rushing to her side. Her face was so distressed and he could feel her heart breaking, which confused him. What had happened that caused her to be like this? He couldn’t wake her because the transformation wasn’t complete yet. She whimpered in pain, but he was at a loss of what to do.

He was so wrapped in his thoughts that he didn’t hear someone come up behind him and hit him on the back of the head. He instantly lost consciousness as he slumped to the floor. When he came to, he was disorientated and had the worst headache. What the hell had happened? Who had knocked him out? And was Serenity okay? He felt through their bond and was relieved that she wasn’t as tormented as she had been before he had been knocked out. But speaking of her…he climbed up to look over the edge of the chamber to see her face. Instead he let out a scream of rage.

Serenity was gone.


	7. It's Not Me

_Forget about this trip that you've been on_  
_Or so it seems_  
 _And never mind the lies that you told, my tears_  
 _Cause every little thing you said_  
 _And every little thing you did_  
 _Made me doubt all of this_  
 _Is that what you're waiting for?_  
 _Look what you did_  
 _Is this who you wanted me to be?_  
 _Well it's not me_  
 _Look what you did_  
 _Is this how you wanted it to be?_  
 _And this life you gave away_  
 _Was meant for me_

 _~It’s Not Me ~3 Doors Down_        

* * *

Pacing was something that he only did when he was panicking. And this was not a panic worthy situation. Oh, sure, he had traveled into the past to stop the woman he loved from making the two biggest mistakes of her life; the first was willingly turning to Darkness, the other was marrying _him._ Yes, _him_ , now there was a reason to start pacing. He had done the impossible and stolen the princess from _him_. Demando had always hated that man for being so selfish. Couldn’t _he_ see that the woman _he_ loved was perfect just the way that she was? Of course, _he_ couldn’t, that’s why _he_ had been pressing her and pressing her to change herself. In his eyes, she didn’t need to change. Hence why he had to stop her before it was too late and the future that he had come to know repeated itself. He had almost been too late, though. _He_ already had her in the brainwashing chamber by the time he arrived in the Dark Kingdom. Demando acted fast and knocked Endymion unconscious before taking her body out of that dark place.

Now he was standing watch over her in some motel room near the arcade that he knew she used to frequent. He had planned for everything. Even the bond that he knew they shared. It was taking a lot of his energy to block it, but it would be worth it. He just hoped that she woke up soon. If she didn’t, then he would be out of power and Endymion would come for them – and goddess help him if that happened. Endymion would have him run through or possibly even tortured to death for daring to steal the love of his life away from him. Not to mention Demando didn’t know how much longer he could act as a proper gentlemen…

Serenity moaned in the bed and he stopped pacing. She had been doing that every so often for the last hour. Something was going on inside that head of hers and Demando desperately wanted to know what. He walked across the room and sat down on the edge of the bed. With a shaking hand, he brushed back the loose hair from her eyes before lightly grazing her cheek with the back of his hand. Her skin was as soft as he remembered it. It would be so easy, right now to…he removed his hand. No, he wasn’t that type of man and he knew that. But the woman on this bed would tempt any man to break from his morals. He leaned down again and kissed her forehead. However, as he drew away his fingers touched something that was wet.

Demando frowned and took a closer look. He hissed at what he saw. There were deep wounds on her body that were bleeding heavily. What had that imbecile done to her? And here he thought she had been turned of her own free will. Guess the stories he’d been told were wrong. But this brought up a whole different problem. He didn’t have the energy to heal her _and_ shield this place from Endymion. However, these wounds were too severe to ignore for long. Something had to be done and soon.

Wait. Serenity’s Silver Crystal could heal her, but the only person who could use it was lying unconscious. Not to mention, would the crystal work for her now that she was tainted slightly by the Darkness? There was only one way to find out. He had to wake her, or else risk her bleeding to death. He shook her gently but she didn’t even stir. This left him with a conundrum.

So maybe he hadn’t planned for everything…          

* * *

Usagi clutched at Endymion’s lifeless body and wept openly. Her heart was breaking into hundreds of pieces. In this life, she thought that she would be done with this piercing pain, but she had just been proven wrong. She looked up with anger burning in her eyes and found the man who caused all of this. A man, she couldn’t help but think bitterly, whose affections were obsessively misplaced like another person that she had known who also caused heartbreak.

“Why?” Her voice shot out like a gun startling him. “Why would you do this?”

“Because I love you and he wasn’t good for you,” Demando said coming forward. “He’s the reason you were put into Darkness. He’s the reason the world is like this. You wanted an out, a way back into your former life. But _he_ wouldn’t let you because _he_ kept dragging you back in. Now, that problem is solved and you can come back to the world of Light.”

She was angry before, but now after that speech she was just plain furious. Moving Endymion’s body, she stood and strode towards him, Dark energy surrounding and crackling around her.

“You remind me of someone that Endymion and I knew a very long time ago. I’m sure you’ve heard the story of how we got into this ‘situation’ as you’ve so delicately put it, but I think it’s time you heard the real tale and not the one that’s been spun for decades. Her name was Beryl and she was the original ruler of the Dark Kingdom. She was the one who turned Endymion to Darkness after a battle left him severely injured and in their clutches. Not only did she turn him, she erased all of his memories of me so that way the next time I faced him, he didn’t remember who I was other than the enemy.

“Her brainwash didn’t hold and he killed her for lying to him and trying to keep us apart. I’m assuming you know the rest,” she paused. “What hasn’t been told in these tales is the true reason _why_ Beryl turned him. A majority of the stories I’ve heard had him turned because it would be leverage against me, but that wasn’t the true reason. The true reason Beryl turned him was because she was obsessed with him almost like you’re obsessed with me. You see, Demando, what the two of you have failed to realize is that Endymion and I have been destined to be together for the last two lifetimes. A thousand years ago, we were together and tragically perished. But we found each other again and you know what? We will continue to find each other.”

Demando was processing this quietly as he backed into a corner. He didn’t know what to say but he tried anyway. “Serenity, don’t you think - ”

“No. You don’t get to speak to me anymore. You’ve chosen your path and I chose mine the day I thrusted the sword through my heart. Guards!” She exclaimed and within moments four uniformed men entered the room.

“Prince Demando murdered the King, arrest him!” The men surrounded him and hauled him from the room. Now that he was gone, her anger disappeared and her broken heart ached deeply. She turned back to the bed where Endymion’s body laid and the tears began to fall freely from her eyes. Her fingers ran through his hair like they had so many times before. But his eyes didn’t light up with amusement or darkened with lust. They didn’t do anything because there was no life there anymore. She had lost him again and this time she wasn’t sure if they would ever meet again.

She collapsed in a heap and wished that she could wake up now. This alternate universe had turned into an absolute nightmare – of course, she now knew how to avoid all of this and could change it. She just needed to wake up.          

* * *

Demando had placed gauze on her wounds to try and stop the bleeding, but the blood was seeping through faster than he could change the bandages. He was changing one of them when Serenity’s breathing changed. He looked up in alarm thinking that this was it that he had failed and she was dying. But that wasn’t the case. Her eyes were fluttering open and she looked around in question. When her eyes landed on him, she shot up in alarm but winced in pain as she did so. He backed up off the bed as he realized the odd predicament that this appeared to be. Him leaning over her in a bed with her dress rose up to her chest. He held up his hands in a cease-fire gesture.

“Princess, I don’t mean you any harm,” he said. “I am - ”

“Prince Demando, I know who you are,” she replied her voice full of hate. He couldn’t understand why. She shouldn’t know who he was yet. “Don’t look so surprised. A man named Helios from the future came to see me and told me all about you and what you did to Endymion in the future.”

Oh. Helios the reason he had been able to get here from the future in the first place. Well, that explained a lot, but still she was misguided about certain things, like why he had killed the horrible prince. “Look I can - ”

“Explain? I don’t think so,” she said and got off the bed. As she did she took in her blood stained dress and in an flash it was gone replaced by a black v-neck shirt with butterfly sleeves and light washed destroyed jeans.

“Please, Princess, let me explain,” he furrowed his brow. “But before that, you need to take care of your injuries.”

“Injuries?” She asked confused and then remembered the fight that had led her to the brainwash chamber and her decision in the first place. She lifted her shirt and saw that those injuries were still bleeding heavily. “Shit,” she whispered and sat back down on the bed. Why hadn’t these wounds healed? Shouldn’t the brainwashing chamber healed…wait. She _was_ in the brainwashing chamber but now she was here in – she looked around - a motel room with Demando? How had she gotten here?

“You know what, you better explain, Demando. How did I end up here?”

“I stole you out of the brainwashing chamber and the Dark Kingdom to save you. But you were in there for a while, so I’m not sure how much of the Darkness you were exposed to.”

“Hm…” she felt the Darkness thrumming through her, but as in the alternate universe it was surprisingly bearable. However, that also explained why her injuries hadn’t quite healed yet. Which left her with a problem – she now had to heal them herself. She closed her eyes and felt for the Silver Crystal. She found it easily enough and was able to tap into its power. She opened her eyes and gasped in shock. Demando moved quickly from his place by the wall to join her again on the bed.

“What? What is it?” He asked his voice worried and his hand closing around hers. She tore it away and lifted her shirt up again. She glanced down and saw that the wounds had healed, all that remained were light pink marks on her pale white skin.

“Well, it’s good to know that I still have access to the Silver Crystal,” Usagi put her shirt back in place and got up from the bed. She turned to leave, but then turned back as a question pressed on her brain. “Why did you steal me away? To try and save me from the Darkness or to have me all to yourself?”

“To save you from the Darkness,” he replied automatically. He could tell that she wanted more, so he carefully repeated the story he had come up with for such an occasion. “You told me in the future that you regretted that day you went into the chamber and if you hadn’t, the future would have been a different and better place. So, I saw an opportunity to intercede to give you what you want.”

“I see,” she said and turned to leave again.

He started to panic. “Wait. Don’t go, Serenity,” he said getting up, trying to block the door to stop her.

She backed away but glared at him. “Why should I stay? You forget, I know who you are and I know what you did to Endymion in the future. If you think I’m going to stay here and be grateful to you for rescuing me for my own benefit, you have another thing coming.”

He blinked in surprise, but she wasn’t done.

“You see, I know the true reason that you snatched me from that chamber and the Dark Kingdom. And sure you say that it’s what I wanted in the future, but it’s not. It’s because you thought that by taking me away before the transformation was completed I’d join forces with you to defeat Endymion and in the process, fall for you. Your expectations are so see through, it’s pathetic.” He was so stunned that he didn’t even try to stop her this time as she made for the door. He heard it open and he heard it slam before he realized that she was gone.

Demando stared after her. He saved her and she was calling him pathetic? This is what happened when you tried to be good, he thought bitterly. Even though Endymion was evil and had almost killed her, she was _still_ running back to him. Maybe he should have taken advantage of her when he had the chance since he was that was the kind of thing she was into. _Damn it_! He wanted to punch something he was so angry. He had her and then she slipped right through his fingers.

“I can help you, prince,” a whispery voice said from the corner.

Demando turned around looking for the source of the voice and he saw a shadow floating in the corner wearing a hood and a crystal ball floating in front of it. “Who are you?” He found himself asking.

“My name is Wise Man and I have traveled very far,” the voice replied. “You seek power to win that woman’s love and I can offer you that.”

“I’m sure you can, but if I’ve learned anything over the years it’s that if someone offers you something it isn’t for free. So what price would I have to pay for your assistance?”

The voice laughed and it sent shivers down Demando’s spine. “You are very perceptive, prince. And you are right, there is a price to pay for my assistance. But it’s a very small one. All you have to do is win that woman’s heart. So what do you say, do you want me help?”

He was very tempted to say yes, but his morals were nagging him. Could he really trust this person whose face he couldn’t see and floated in mid air as if by magic? He opened his mouth to say no when he had images of Serenity and Endymion together float through his mind and her whispering, ‘you’re pathetic.’ No, he wasn’t pathetic. He loved her and he wanted her at any cost. He would have her even if he had to go through Endymion to do it.

“I accept,” he said and took the shadow man’s outstretched hand. As he did, he was surrounded by Darkness and forehead erupted in pain.

“Welcome to the Black Moon clan, Prince Demando,” Wise Man cackled as he lost consciousness. As he fell to the floor, an upside down black crescent moon appeared on his forehead.          

* * *

Serenity was gone. She was no longer in the brainwashing chamber. She was no longer in the Dark Kingdom. Had her transformation even been complete? Endymion didn’t know and he was obsessively pacing as he kept trying to pick up where she was through their bond. But he was having no luck, she was either blocking him (damn that three year absence) or the person who took her was blocking him. With each turn he was getting more and more annoyed. Not to mention he kept trying to figure out who could have taken her. It really wasn’t hard to guess. There were about eleven people that he knew who could have possibly done this. And they had some nerve coming here and stealing the love of his life away. He would go and deal with them soon, but first, he had one thing he had to take care of.

The pain that he had felt from Serenity while she was in the chamber scared him. He had felt that same pain once before and the cause worried him. Endymion knew that while in the chamber the person experienced their alternate reality – what to expect once the transformation was complete – he didn’t remember his time in the chamber, because he had been hanging on to the last strands of life. But that pain…he had experienced it months ago when the power of the Silver Crystals of the present and future and the Golden Crystal had combined and attacked Serenity. The horrible pain that she had felt ripped through his heart when he saw her lifeless body floating to the ground. Which means, that he had died in the alternate universe. But who could have possibly killed him? And now, as he continued to think about it, Serenity had mentioned that Helios had told her that Endymion was dead in the future and she wasn’t the one to do it.

So, the question remained. Who had? He wondered if she had seen the face of the killer…damn it! It didn’t matter if she had. The only person he could ask wasn’t here to answer his questions. Damn those Sailor Senshi and his Shitennou! Things had been so much easier when they had been on his side… He sighed as he reminisced about those times. Back when Beryl was still in control.

Wait a second. Beryl! That was it! He went striding from the room towards a chamber he didn’t think he would eve have reason to enter again. Beryl’s room. The room hadn’t been touched since he had killed the previous monarch of the Dark Kingdom. It still made him sick, but there were certain circumstances…he searched the room until he found what he was looking for. In the closet, was the silver staff that he remembered. On top of the staff sat a blue crystal ball. Beryl had spent hours a day peering into this, watching everything in the world above and what happened down here. Maybe he could see what Serenity saw while she was going through her transformation.

“Show me what Serenity saw in the chamber,” he commanded the ball and watched as images flashed inside the sphere; her and him together in bed. Then the image changed to her screaming into a pillow before a man with silver hair entered the room. Even though there was no sound he could tell that they had an argument that ended with him kissing her before being thrown across the room by Endymion. While his alternate universe self was checking on her, the man with the silver hair ran him through with a sword.

So this is what she had seen and this man with the silver hair had been the one to kill him. Endymion placed the crystal ball staff back in the closet before leaving the room and the Dark Kingdom all together. He had to retrieve Serenity from her friends. While also seeing his future killer, he saw how happy she had been with him in what would soon be their future.

Endymion just had to get her back before he could start to live it.          

* * *

Usagi wandered the streets, not sure of what to do. She could go and visit her friends to let them know that she was all right since the last time they had seen her she was clinging to life. But if she did that she would have to tell them what happened to her and how she was pretty sure that there was now Darkness running through her veins. _Pretty sure?_ A voice in her head scoffed. _Fuck that. You’re one hundred percent sure that there is Darkness running through your veins_. She could feel it thrumming inside of her, but she wasn’t sure of how _much_ of it was there. Since she had been taken out of the chamber early, the transformation hadn’t been complete. Was that why she still felt like her usual self? Why she still had access to the Silver Crystal? She just didn’t know the answer.

Which lead her to her other option. She could go back to the Dark Kingdom and Endymion to ask him these questions. But then that _also_ had its own set of problems. Who was to say that he wouldn’t throw her back into the chamber to complete the transformation? Or try to test out her new strength by trying to turn her friends back to Darkness? Usagi sighed and leaned against a wall. She thought originally that by doing this – turning to Darkness – would have made things easier. But it was turning out to be just as complicated as being in the Light was.

So both of those options were out for the foreseeable future. What did that leave her to do then? She thought about it for a second and then giggled. This was almost like the first night after she had become Sailor Moon. She had new powers that she hadn’t even begun to explore. Maybe she should start to play around and see what she was made of. She pushed back from the wall, first things first. When she first met one of the Shitennou he had thrown out a dark energy bolt at her. Could she do the same trick? She threw out her hand just like Jadeite had. A bolt of dark energy shot out of her palm and crashed into the bark of a nearby tree. She smirked in spite of herself.

 _Cool,_ she thought. What else could she do? She thought and remembered when she had run into Nephrite he had been able to out jump her, even though, at the time, she thought her Senshi skills were pretty extraordinary. She looked around and jumped. Higher than she could have when she was Sailor Moon. The building she had been leaning against was really tall. But she was able to jump to the roof in one bound. As a senshi, she would have had to jump onto the roof of the building beside it before jumping onto this one. So, she was capable of another Shitennou trick that was good to know. She eyed a lamppost in the park across the street. Endymion and the Shitennou were able to appear where they wanted by opening portals. Did she have that ability as well? There was only one way to find out.

She concentrated and a portal appeared beside her. She took a deep breath and stepped through. When she reappeared she was standing on that lamppost that she had been eyeing. There was another ability that she could cross off her list. Now what else was there?

Usagi stopped as she heard some familiar voices. No way. It couldn’t be, but even as she looked down she knew that should have known better. This was the park after all where everything happened.

* * *

Their wounds healed almost to the point of perfection, the Sailor Senshi and the Shitennou stood together in a circle preparing for the biggest journey of their lives. Retrieving their beloved princess from the lover of her life – also known at the evil prince. Sailor Uranus had explained the plan. Since the Inner Senshi and the Shitennou had been in the Dark Kingdom before, the rest of them would rely on their knowledge to get them there. Once there, the Outers and two of the Shitennou would distract Endymion while the Inner Senshi and the other two Shitennou would retrieve Usagi from the brainwash chamber. As soon as they achieve this, they would give a signal and then get the hell out of there. Then the hardest part, figuring out how much damage the transformation had done. If it was bad as they feared, they didn’t know what they were going to do.

But first they had to focus on getting her out of there.

“Are we sure this plan is going to work?” Jadeite asked feeling uncertain. “You know Endymion is going to see right through this. He won’t let us get Usagi that easily.”

“Well, unless you can come up with a better plan, pretty boy, we’re going to go with this one,” Uranus coldly stated. Her patience with Endymion’s former lap dog was growing thin.

Feeling the senshi’s anger, the blonde backed off and hid behind Mars. And here he thought the priestess had a temper. She was no match for this sword wielding broad.

“Okay, okay, so Nephrite and Kunzite will join the three of you to distract the dear prince, while Zoicite and I will join these four to get Usagi.”

“Right,” Mercury nodded her head. “And if everything goes according to plan, we should be in and out of there in ten minutes.”

“I still don’t like this,” Jadeite muttered.

“I don’t either,” Jupiter replied. “Why do we need six people to retrieve Usagi? It’s a four person operation tops.”

“It’s six because we’re not sure if that pond scum has some sort of youma guarding her. Would he really leave her unprotected?” Uranus shook her head.

“No, I definitely wouldn’t,” a familiar voice said from the shadows. They all turned to stare as Endymion walked into view. “I also wouldn’t leave some lowly youma to guard her. I would do it myself. But apparently, it still wasn’t enough.”

“What are you talking about?” Venus asked, the only one of them to find their voice.

“Just the way it sounds, Venus. Someone, and I’m guessing it was one of you, snuck in, knocked me out and took her out of the chamber and the Dark Kingdom before the transformation completed. So. Where is she?”

“Shocking as it may be, Endymion, we did no such thing. We were just on our way to retrieve her, when you showed up,” Pluto responded.

“Wait, then,” Mars said. “If he doesn’t have her and we don’t have her, then…who does?” She looked at everyone as the reality of the situation dawned on them. Serenity was lost.          

* * *

If her life had been a movie, this would have been the scene where she would have made her big entrance. But, this wasn’t a movie. This was real life and Usagi still didn’t feel like making said big entrance. She preferred watching from the sidelines for a little bit longer. Besides, they had yet to figure out who had originally took her.          

* * *

Endymion’s fury was growing by the second. How could it be possible that the eleven people he thought would have Serenity, didn’t have her? If they didn’t, who did? It wasn’t like she left the chamber, knocked him unconscious, and left on her own. Her injuries had been too severe, not to mention – as much as she claimed to be smarter – he didn’t think she was bright enough to pull something like this off. She would have had to been incredibly fast to go from the shrieking girl in the chamber to the one knocking him out from behind. So then who had her?

That’s when it hit him like a ton of bricks. The last time Helios had traveled back here to the past, his daughter, Black Lady, had also come through with him. What if this time the same thing happened? Someone who could benefit from traveling to the past and who would want to take Serenity from the chamber had come here with Helios. Who could that possibly be? The man he had seen kissing her in her alternate reality, the one who had also killed him flashed through his mind. There was no other option. It had to be him.

“Son of a bitch,” he hissed. “Helios!” He exclaimed causing everyone to stare at him. Not having been intoned with his thought process, they thought he meant that Helios had taken Serenity. What they didn’t know was that Endymion was summoning the boy to see whom that man he had seen was. And if it was possible that he could have slipped through as Helios was traveling to the past.

A flash of light and the boy appeared kneeling. He looked up and met the angry face of Endymion and the confused face of the others.

“How may I be of service?” He asked.

“Is it possible that someone traveled through with you when you came to the past this time?” Endymion asked trying to keep his temper under control.

The boy thought for a second and shook his head. “I doubt it. Why do you ask?”

“Serenity is missing and I think someone from the future took her,” he replied and resumed his pacing. Well, that question had gotten him nowhere. His statement was met with silence before everyone exchanged looks. Was it possible that Prince Demando took her? And if so, that meant that Helios was wrong. Someone _had_ come through with him.

“What do you mean Princess Serenity is missing?” The boy asked, but was met with silence from the prince as he continued to pace. The others filled him in on what he had missed since he had appeared to tell them about the future. Afterwards, he paused to think about it. When he had left, the kingdom was still grieving over the loss of the king, and they were about to try his murderer but he had gone missing…

“Then again…” Helios broke the silence. Endymion whipped around and stared at the boy. “It could be possible.”

“Oh, fess up, Helios,” a new voice broke through. “You know that it’s entirely possible for someone to travel through with you without you knowing. Goddess knows it’s happened before.” Everyone turned at once to see who was now speaking. The girls and the Shitennou didn’t recognize him so all they could do was stare at him. But Endymion recognized him and it took all of his will power not to go after this man and beat him senseless. Helios only glared.

“Prince Demando,” he coldly stated. The man with the white hair laughed. It was crazy that this boy could try and be angry. How old was he anyway? Twelve? “How did you get here?”

“Well, that was easy. I broke out of my cell and while I was looking for a place to go, I found you walking with a purpose. I knew who you were, of course, and decided to follow you. Good thing I did, or else you were going to right another thing that shouldn’t have been righted. At first, I _was_ confused at to what you were up to, but then I saw you talking to the princess. And then I figured, if you were going to change the future, why couldn’t I? So I began to plot.”

“So you _are_ the one who took Serenity!” Endymion exclaimed. The silver haired man glanced at him and smiled in amusement.

“Prince Endymion, hot tempered as ever it seems,” he laughed. “But yes, I was the one who knocked you unconscious and took Serenity from that horrible chamber. She didn’t deserve to be treated that way.”

“And who are you to say how she should be treated?”

Helios and Usagi watched this heated exchange, but both of them were paying more attention to Demando. Something was different about the prince and it had something to do with that black crescent moon on his forehead. Usagi didn’t know what it meant, but she knew it couldn’t mean anything good. While Helios knew that he had seen that symbol somewhere before, he just couldn’t remember where.

“Because unlike you I love her and want what’s best for her.”

“And I don’t?” Endymion scoffed. “Please. We have been together for over a thousand years, I know what’s best for her.”

“Obviously, that’s why she was so severely injured when you put her into the chamber to changer her into something she’s not. You’re lucky that she woke up and was able to heal herself or else she would have died from blood loss.”

Endymion’s eyes narrowed, “Her injuries would have healed if someone hadn’t taken her out of the chamber before she was supposed to be removed.”

“Well, it doesn’t matter now, does it? She’s out, her injuries are healed, and she’s run back to you. Which brings me to why I’m here wasting time arguing with you. I want her back and I’m more than willing to kill you if you don’t hand her over.”

Now it was his turn to laugh, “You really think I would hand her over to you? If you want to kill me, then let’s fight, this time fair and square no backs turned. But there’s only one problem. We don’t have her.”

“You honestly think I’m going to fall for that? Once she woke up and healed her injuries she stormed out, and who else would she go to but her friends or ever you, the one who forced her into that chamber? So, stop playing games and hand her over.”

Endymion opened his mouth to rip this guy a new one, when – of all people – Neptune stepped in and whispered, “We honestly don’t have her, so stop playing your pissing contest and go back to the hole from whence you came.” They all stared at her, surprised by the quiet one’s outburst. Demando raised an eyebrow. They were telling the truth. So, if she didn’t go back to her friends and Endymion…

“Where is she then?” He asked out loud.

* * *

Usagi watched all of this from her position on top of the lamppost. Things were getting interesting. When Demando appeared her hair on the back of her neck went up. Something was different about him from when she left him in that motel room. Something that wasn’t good and dealt with that black crescent moon on his forehead. Not to mention his demeanor had changed. He sounded more like the villain than he did before. Maybe she wasn’t the only one who had gone through a transformation with Darkness…

“Prince, they are lying to you,” a whispery voice filled the silence. Usagi peered closer at the scene. Where had that voice come from? She didn’t see anyone new standing by them. So who… a cloud of black smoke appeared next to Demando and when it disappeared a shadow in a purple hooded cloak was floating next to him.

“The princess is here,” the voice added.

“Really?” He looked at the others. “Where are you hiding her? If you think you can stop me by lying to me…you’re only prolonging me from I want and rightly deserve.”

“She isn’t here!” Mars exclaimed. “Don’t you think if she was we would know? She would have come to see us!”

“She’s here,” the whispery voice said again. Usagi narrowed her eyes, this whole cloak and dagger thing was starting to piss her off. Who did this guy think he was anyway? She sighed. Well, it was too late now. They knew she was nearby, but she still wasn’t ready to face everyone yet. She opened a portal and was halfway inside when she heard Demando say,

“Serenity, come out, come out wherever you are.” She rolled her eyes. Like she would really answer to that call? She wasn’t a dog that he could call over at his whim. She stepped through the portal and was about to close it when he added something she had to listen to.

“If you don’t come out, Serenity, I will run Endymion through with my sword again, and we both know that I can.”

She closed the portal and changed its destination to the branch of a tree that was right on top of the group. How dare he threaten Endymion’s life? First being called like a dog, now this? She was really pissed off now and she was going to let this pathetic man have it.

“Has anyone ever told you that it isn’t polite to call a girl like a dog?” She said from her perch in the tree. She jumped down right onto Demando’s shoulders causing him to crumple to the ground below in a heap before somehow shimmering so she was standing on the ground just a few feet away from him. “In fact, it’s just downright pathetic, but I guess I shouldn’t have expected anything less from you.” She smirked, while ignoring the feeling of everyone’s eyes on her.

Demando glared up at her as he got up into a kneeling position, before he smiled evilly. “It’s good to see you again, Serenity, but you really shouldn’t have done that.”


	8. Nicotine

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As I mentioned in chapter 1, this story is not complete and this chapter is so far the last one that I have written. It's been a while since this chapter was written and I'm sorry to say it might be even longer. I'm not giving up, it's just that with my work schedule and the fact that these characters have gone quiet, I'm not exactly sure how to continue on. I'm not sure when I'll get the inspiration to write for this story, but I'm hoping it will be soon.

_Cross my heart and hope to die_   
_Burn my lungs and curse my eyes_   
_I’ve lost control and I don’t want it back_   
_I’m going numb, I’ve been hijacked_   
_It’s a fucking drag_   
_I taste you on my lips and I can’t get rid of you_   
_So I say damn your kiss and the awful things you do_   
_Yeah, you’re worse than nicotine_   
_Nicotine, yeah_   
_It’s better to burn than to fade away_   
_It’s better to leave than be replaced_   
_I’m losing to you_   
_Baby, I’m no match_   
_I’m going numb, I’ve been hijacked_

_~ Nicotine ~ Panic! At the Disco_    

* * *

A silence fell over the crowd, and all eyes were on Usagi. She was trying her best to ignore the stares, but it was hard to do. There was one glance that was harder to ignore than the others. But while everyone was staring, she was staring too; at Demando. She wasn’t able to tell from her previous location on the lamppost, but at this range, she could see the black upside down crescent moon on his forehead that hadn’t been there when she had last seen him. Also, there was a dark glint in his violet eyes; she knew that glint all too well. Only it was different to see it in another’s eyes. She was used to seeing them in… _No,_ she thought to herself. She couldn’t go there right now. Because if she even thought about _his_ name she would turn around and catch _his_ gaze…

She fought off a shiver and ended her thought. She needed to figure out what was going on here. What Demando had gotten into with the mysterious cloaked figure that was floating beside him? She could sense the Darkness emitting from him in waves. But who was this figure and what had he planned for Demando? Whatever it was it couldn’t be good. There was no way that the figure turned him to Darkness without some sort of price… So the question was, what was the price? And why had Demando agreed to do it when he was so _not_ evil?

“Did you not hear what I said, Princess?” Demando’s voice snapped her out of her mental reverie. She started for a second before staring at his smirking face. “Apparently, not. Well, like I said, you shouldn’t have done that because you’re not the only one who has changed since the last time we met.”

“So I’ve noticed,” she finally replied. “The question is though, why? What exactly did this figure offer you to become what you are?” Usagi bristled as she continued to feel everyone’s stare. _Stop staring at me,_ she sent through her link with her Senshi and Endymion. She almost laughed when she heard all of them collectively gasp. They hadn’t been expecting her to send them anything. Well, she had to talk to them _somehow_ without Demando knowing.

Endymion, though, was the only one who bothered to reply. _Sorry, Serenity,_ he sent through their link. _It’s just that I’ve been finally waiting for this day for years. And now that it’s here…_ he sighed _The Darkness suits you, just like I knew it would._

She couldn’t see him, but she knew that his eyes were burning with longing, because she was trying hard to hide the burning in hers as well. She didn’t know whether or not it was the Darkness that was fueling her actions, but what she wouldn’t give right now than for Demando to not be there … _Focus,_ she said to herself and to Endymion. Her words must have gone through because he stepped up beside her, his sword drawn.

“If I were you, Demando, I’d answer her questions,” he said his voice rough.

“The answers are easy, my dear Princess. Obviously, my usual tactics weren’t going to stand up against Endymion here, so I needed an advantage. Wiseman was nice enough to offer me the power to win you over, but that is my price for his assistance. I need to win you over. You need to be mine. Even if I have to kill Endymion.”

The Darkness in her veins boiled with her anger. What was with the men in her life not listening to a damn word that she had to say? Energy crackled at the tips of the fingers of her left hand, the ones out of Endymion’s view. It would be so easy to end all of this now, but no. She wasn’t going to give in to this new power within her, not yet at least. She would try one last time to talk to Demando, to make him see that what he was doing was for nothing. If he _still_ didn’t see reason after that, well, at least she could say that she tried.

“You don’t listen, do you, Demando?” She asked flexing her fingers as the energy dissipated. “I told you that nothing you do would make me join you. The history between Endymion and I runs too deep and over too many millennia.”

“Haven’t you ever heard the expression, Serenity, that too much of the same thing isn’t good for you?” Was Demando’s sarcastic reply, but she could tell that her response had gotten to him. What did he think was going to happen? That just because he had turned Dark she was going to fall into his arms? She didn’t know what had happened between the two of them in the future, but whatever it was, she knew that he was delusional into thinking that he actually had a chance with her.

“Goddess, you’re an idiot,” she said finally losing her patience. She turned her back on him, much to everyone’s amazement and looked like she was going to walk away from all of this, when she turned back quickly throwing a ball of energy at him. His eyes widened before he teleported away and out of the ball’s path. He reappeared a few yards away and even though he was far away, Usagi could still feel his amazed and shocked stare on her. But he wasn’t the only one staring, not that she was too surprised. Demando’s expression though was odd. The way he was looking at her, made her wonder whether she had ever acted out like that in the future. She had to though, right? Because in the future she was evil, a being of the Dark – who obviously considering what just happened – had a short temper.

The Senshi were looking at her probably for that very reason. In all the years they had known her, they had never once seen her lose her temper on the field like this. The Shitennou and Endymion were also staring at her, but she knew it was probably for a different reason. They, unlike her Senshi, probably noticed the _color_ of the energy ball that she had thrown at Demando. She was known for throwing balls of white light at her enemies, so of course, they were probably surprised that she had thrown a dark crackling ball of energy instead. But because they had been Dark – or in the Dark Prince’s case still Dark – they would know what the color change meant. And Usagi was betting that because of this, Endymion was smirking in victory because he had won.

Usagi was Dark. Not sure of what to make of this revelation, she did the only thing she could think of.

She created a portal and she ran. 

* * *

Endymion blinked and sighed before he created a portal of his own to go after her. Since he hadn’t hesitated, he was able to catch her in the in between of the portal. He kept his sigh of relief at bay, as he approached her from behind. With ease, he wrapped an arm around her waist and opened another portal. This time though he opened it to his bedroom in the Dark Kingdom. Considering her escape attempt, he figured she needed time alone, somewhere where her Senshi wouldn’t be able to talk to her and tell her that what she had become was wrong. Besides he was in desperate need to have some alone time with her.

She started to struggle in his grasp, and he hissed when he felt a shock go through his system. Was she seriously trying to attack him using her Dark power? Did she _seriously_ think that was going to work against him? For some reason, the thought made him chuckle.

“Oh, Serenity,” he whispered into her ear. “Do you have a lot to learn about your Dark powers…”

Serenity stopped struggling as her breathing hitched, “Endymion?” She asked.

“Who else were you expecting?” He countered before loosening his grip, allowing her to turn around and look him in the eye. Both of them froze though when they made eye contact with each other. It was the first time since she had turned that they were looking at each other head on. Before, her back had been turned to him and then he had only been able to get a side view from the corner of his eye.

Just like Usagi thought though, just looking at him made her forget everything else. All she could think about was him; about how that evil glint in his eyes – the one that had made her shiver in disgust before – made her shiver with desire now. Just like Endymion was looking at her and seeing the same glint in her eyes. He loved that glint because that meant that he had what he finally wanted. He had finally won. Trying to hold his breath and keep his expectations low, he opened his arms so that way she could rush into them if she chose to.

Usagi tried not to laugh at the expression on his face. He looked like a little boy waiting for Santa Claus to appear. He didn’t look like the dark prince that she had known. But she couldn’t blame him for the look. As many times as he tried to get her to turn to the Dark side, he didn’t know what to do now that she actually had. She could make this easy on him, it would probably be the right thing to do, but she was evil now. What fun would it be to do the right thing? She continued to glace at him with his open arms, until she finally smirked.

At her smirk, he dropped his arms down to his sides and stared at her in wonder. Well, he hadn’t really planned for _this_. What was she up to? He stepped forward and she took a step back. This brought him to a stand still. Why was she backing away from him? She couldn’t be afraid of him, could she? He tried to read her expression, but her face was guarded. Throwing caution to the wind, he took another step forward.

And she took another step back. Endymion felt a frustrated growl came from his lips. _That_ got a reaction from Serenity. She was smiling, a mischievous smile. He stared at her in amazement. She was smiling! She _wanted_ him to chase after her! He tilted his head to the side as he tried to figure out why she wanted him to chase her. He had opened his arms to her; she could have just as easily come to him. So why….

 _Oh,_ realization hit him. She _was_ Dark now and he was Dark. He raised his eyebrow. So she wanted to have some fun did she? Well then…he took another step towards her and predictably she took another step back. Her eyes were dancing with mischief and he finally smiled. He let lose another growl and darted forward. She let out a squeal and darted away from him. She stopped with the bed between them.

“You’ve got nowhere to run, love,” he said a playful tone in his voice. She only smiled at him, almost daring him to come after her. His smile widened and he teleported to just a few feet behind her. She whirled around and glared at him, but it had no edge to it. She was smiling before she turned and tried to jump over the bed when he rushed and tackled her.

Directly on to the bed.

He turned her around so that her back was on the mattress and so that he could see her face. She was breathing heavily, but she was smiling. He had to take that as a good sign, right? He placed his hands on either side of her head and balanced his weight on to his palms. He looked down at her with a smirk.

“Was that really necessary?” He asked her.

“Probably not,” she giggled before Endymion’s lips descending on to hers cut it off. He had been waiting for this kiss for years and now that he was finally getting it, it did not disappoint. The feistiness he had witnessed before came alive underneath his lips. As soon as their lips met, his skin began to blaze from the heat, and he felt her small delicate fingers begin to unbutton his shirt. When his tongue beckoned entrance into her mouth, she complied and her nails raked over the muscles of his chest. He gasped into her mouth before he released her lips. He looked down at her, and felt himself harden as he saw the fire burning in Serenity’s eyes.

“Serenity,” he rasped. “Don’t do this, unless you mean it.” His forehead dropped to her shoulder as he chastised himself. Was he being serious right now? After everything he had done to get to this moment, was he _seriously_ chickening out _now_?

“Endymion,” she whispered. “After everything we’ve been through, do you really think that I don’t mean this? After witnessing your death while I was in that chamber, I realized that even though we have our differences, I can’t be without you.”

He kissed her shoulder and lifted his head back up, “We’re not that different anymore.”

“You think so,” she replied. “But how can you be so sure when I never really finished the transition?”

He opened his mouth to say something, but closed it again when he realized that she was right. Were they really the same even though she hadn’t completed her transition?

“See? You can’t be sure.”

“Maybe not,” he said. “But I can be sure about this. If you didn’t truly change while you were in that chamber, then how is it that you were being so playful with me earlier? Your Light self wouldn’t have done that.”

“You would stick on that fact,” she laughed briefly kissing him. “But I’m not disputing the fact that I’ve changed.”

“Good, because if you do, I’ll just point to what you threw at that jerk while we were up there.”

Serenity couldn’t help the laugh that came out of her mouth. She knew he was looking at her like she had gone insane, but it was just too comical. Endymion’s jealousy would always prevail, even if the world were ending. She sobered quickly though when she realized ‘that jerk’ was the reason for Endymion’s death in the future. She had seen it with her own two eyes.

“As much as you hate that jerk, it still doesn’t change the fact that he is the one who kills you in the future.” She said with a serious tone.

“That was before you knew about it though,” he pointed out his hands roaming along her curves causing her to shudder. “But let’s not talk about that, right now. I have something else I want to do instead.”

She opened her mouth to protest, but let out a moan instead as he nibbled gently on her collarbone. He was right this could wait until later. Meeting her eyes to see the desire pooling there, he smirked and shrugged out of his shirt. She wanted to touch him, but he took a hold of her wrists and pinned them above her head. She glared at him before he smirked and leaned down to whisper in her ear, “Watch what I can do with these Dark powers.” His brow creased in concentration and she felt her body tingle with the familiar Dark energy. When the tingle disappeared, she felt a cold breeze on her skin. She looked down at herself and found bare skin. As she looked up at Endymion to comment about his ‘trick’ her breath caught in her throat. Her clothes weren’t the only ones to disappear.

 _Holy shit_ , she thought, not realizing that it wasn’t just her who heard it.

 _Indeed,_ he thought back through their connection. _But clothes take too long to take off and I’ve been waiting far too long for this._ To prove his point, he wasted no time in sinking deep within her folds. She gasped at the quick entry but it soon turned into a moan as he hit that one spot over and over again.

He slipped out of her before they both could find their release and she bit her lip as she looked at him. What did he think he was doing? Those lips were still turned up in that familiar smirk lowered themselves onto her bare skin of her stomach before they moved north. As he trailed upwards she could feel his erection touching her skin and she inhaled sharply, feeling her nipples tighten just as Endymion closed his mouth over the left one. Her head rolled back as she tried to keep her breathing even. It didn’t work though when his tongue lapped gently and then his teeth came down. She moaned but the man was quick as he cut it off by kissing her.

Serenity was getting frustrated. What exactly was he trying to do to her? Make her go crazy? Make her beg? If he was then he should know better because she was stubborn. She would take matters into her own hands before she would ever beg. Speaking of…

Her fingers lightly traced over his chest before drifting down towards the apex of his thighs. When she touched his penis it throbbed into her palm and he gasped into her mouth. She didn’t smile, but she tightened her grip and stroked his cock gently with her thumb. The gasp turned into a moan before he pulled away from her lips and looked down at her.

“Damn it, Serenity, are you trying to unman me?” He asked his voice low and husky. She tried to look innocent but she couldn’t quite pull it off. Not anymore. She let out a laugh that was quickly cut off when he arched his hips and slid into her again. She moaned and arched her hips to meet his. Her legs, that were akimbo, now drew him in closer. He took the invitation as he went deeper and faster. Their moans synched together and she felt that familiar pressure build up in the base of her spine. She was about to come.

“Endymion,” she rasped in warning as he went even faster.

“I know,” he said his voice thick with emotion. “I know.” His hand closed over her right breast and squeezed just as he bucked wildly into her. His release came, and the feeling of his load releasing into her caused her own release to follow. He rocked his hops one more time before he drew backward, drawing himself out of her.

She protested at the loss of contact, but he wasn’t gone long. He slipped in beside her pulling her so that her naked back was plastered to his front. That’s when she felt that he wasn’t done with her quite yet. She tried not to groan – she was already exhausted – but Endymion’s love knew no bounds. He was insatiable and as he reminded her, he’d been waiting for this for a long, long time.

His hand curled around her leg as he pulled it to the side. His grip tightened, his lips found her collarbone and he slid inside her. She was whimpering as he moved inside, the onslaught of emotions was just too much for her. She loved him so much, even when he was evil. And now that she was partly Dark, she wondered why she had fought so long. Especially if things could have been like this. Her release came faster than they both had anticipated for and she screamed as it unraveled. His teeth clamped down as he followed her into bliss.

She felt her eyes close from exhaustion and was barely conscious when she felt Endymion pull out, pull up the blankets around them and then encircle her in his arms. She sighed in contentment and felt herself drift into unconsciousness.

* * *

The Senshi, Shitennou and Helios stared at the spot where their princess and – grudgingly – their prince had disappeared. She had fled, like she usually did, but… That was the problem. _But_. All of them had seen some sort of change within Usagi. She was stronger. Her temper was shorter. And she could create portals.

“But she still seems like herself,” Haruka was the first one to break the silence. “She’s the same person, just…”

“Not,” Kunzite finished for her. “This is very odd. When the others turned we could still sense the Darkness within them even though they were still themselves. But with Princess Serenity…”

“We couldn’t sense the Darkness at all,” Nephrite finished for him.

“Are you sure you still can?” Setsuna asked. “Maybe you could sense it because you were a part of Darkness. But now that you’re in the Light…”

“No, they’re right,” Rei countered. “Even though we’re not a part of Darkness anymore we can still sense it in Endymion. But with Serenity there’s nothing there. Not even…” she trailed off afraid to admit what else was wrong.

“Rei?” Jadeite prodded her. “Not even what?”

“Not even her Light,” she whispered. But _everyone_ heard her. Even _another_ dark prince that they had forgotten about. Demando had moved closer to the group without their notice, so he was able to hear everything. Serenity wasn’t Dark, but she wasn’t Light anymore either. Then what was she? The question was one that the group in front of him was trying to figure out the answer to.

“How can that be possible?” Michiru asked the group. “Serenity _is_ Light and if she turned then she would be Dark. She can’t be neither. It just isn’t possible.” The others looked at each other with helpless expressions. They had been preparing themselves for a Dark Serenity. They had even prepared for the unlike ability that she would come back as her old Light self. This? This they didn’t even know how to handle.

“It is though,” Ami, always the logical one, said. Everyone turned his or her head towards her waiting for her to explain. “Think about it, guys. Serenity was taken when she was severely injured. Like all of us, the injury was supposed to quicken the process of turning. But remember, Endymion came here because Serenity was missing. Someone had taken her from the chamber. What if because she was taken out of the chamber before she was supposed to, that didn’t solidify the transformation?”

“In plain English there, Ames,” Minako said in exasperation.

“Right. Sorry. Because Serenity was taken out of the chamber before the transformation was complete – she isn’t completely Dark nor is she completely Light. Hence why we can’t sense either of these things from her. She’s - ”

“Literally Switzerland. She’s neutral,” Zoicite said in awe. “Which means that she can either side with evil or with good.”

“And that decision could change all out destinies,” Helios and Setsuna said in unison.

Demando smiled. So there was still hope that Serenity would chose Light and him for good. But she was goddess knows where with that Dark Prince, who would give anything to make her Dark and keep her by his side for eternity. Demando couldn’t let that happen. The only problem was what could he do to stop it? If Serenity were really with Endymion then there was no way that she would leave him anytime soon. So how could he get her to?

 _Hm_ …he continued to think as he disappeared. This was going to take some thinking and he wouldn’t be able to do it alone.

* * *

_She couldn’t see in front of her face. She couldn’t see because of all the fog. Where was she? The last time she was in cased in fog like this her mother had shown up to talk to her. Oh no…_

_“Mother?” She called out into the fog. It disappeared and her mother appeared a smile on her face._

_“Serenity,” she said opening her arms. “I am so proud of you.”_

_Serenity rushed into her mother’s arms but looked at her like she had lost her mind. “You’re proud of me?” She asked. “Why? I thought you would be mad at me because I turned to the Dark.”_

_Her mother actually laughed. “Why would I be mad? Serenity, I’m the one who told you that there was a third option and you are happy, aren’t you?”_

_“Yes, I am,” she replied a smile now on her face. “And I don’t know, but I don’t feel like I’m different.”_

_“That’s because you aren’t, at least, not really.”_

_“What?”_

_“Serenity, you know what I mean. You think that because you were taken out of the chamber early, your transformation wasn’t completed. You’re right, it wasn’t.”_

_“But I can feel the Darkness.”_

_“Yes, because of how long you were in there, you did turn slightly. But you’re not completely Dark. Nor are you completely Light.”_

_“Is that even possible?” Serenity asked._

_“Yes, it is, but you must know, my dear, your troubles aren’t over. Because of your neutrally, both the Light and the Dark will try to claim you and your power for their side.”_

_“Okay, now I’m really confused. How can my power be claimed for either the Light or the Dark when I chose Dark? When I chose Endymion?”_

_“I wish I knew, sweetheart, but whatever your choice was before, it doesn’t matter now. You are neutral. Your next decision chooses the fate of the world.”_

* * *

Usagi opened her eyes and wanted to rewind to before she fell asleep. She was finally happy and what happens? Her decision doesn’t count. She gets to choose again. _Aren’t you lucky?_ She buried her head into the pillow, but it wasn’t a pillow.

It was Endymion’s naked chest. Forget about going back to sleep. She was wide-awake now. And, as she took in everything, she realized she wasn’t the only one either. The arm around her was stroking her back, and his lips were on the crown of her head. She smiled into his chest and felt his hand stop stroking her back. His other hand came into her line of view and lifted her chin so that she was directly looking at him.

“So that wasn’t a dream,” he murmured as his hand dropped and grazed her bare skin. It gripped her hip before he lifted her up so she was straddling him. She felt him right _there_ and he was hard. She raised an eyebrow and he smiled in return. He lowered her down and she hissed as he delved deep inside her. Her head rolled back, but he froze their movements before they had really started. She lowered her head, her hair falling over her shoulder to look at him a question in her eyes. Why had he stopped so soon?

His hands reached up and pulled aside her hair before he ran his fingers lightly over a spot on her collarbone. Even though his touch was light, she winced. Why did that hurt so badly?

“I guess I got a little bit carried away,” Endymion said and closed his palm over the mark. She felt the familiar tingle and the pain ceased. She still didn’t remember how she had gotten hurt… When he finished his healing, he leaned up and kissed her where his palm had been. That caused the memory to resurface. His teeth biting into her skin… He pulled back and arched up into her causing her to moan.

Her palms splayed themselves on his chest as his guided her hips.

“Goddess, you’re wonderful,” he rasped their hips in synch with the others.

“I love you, Endymion,” she whispered her eyes directly on his so she didn’t miss the twinkle of satisfaction that fluttered in them. She didn’t even want to know why they did that. Her hips were trembling beneath her and she knew that she was close to not only coming, but from collapsing on top of him as well.

He seemed to know – like he always did – and flipped them over. His pace quickened as he hiked one of her legs over his shoulder. She squeezed her eyes closed as she felt the intense sensations take her over.

“Open your eyes, Serenity,” he growled. “Open your eyes. I want to see them when we come.” With effort she did as he asked and heir eyes instantly locked on each other’s. Passion and possession were brewing in his dark azure blue depths and she knew that she couldn’t fight, either. He owned her mind, body, and soul. She screamed as she came undone and he followed not soon after, but collapsed on top of her.

Her eyes fluttered closed again, but it wasn’t from exhaustion. Although she was tired, she was trying to clear her mind from the haze it was under. She knew what her mother had said – that she was neutral – but…

“Nothing,” Endymion’s voice rasped. Serenity opened her eyes and looked at him in confusion. “But nothing, my love. You may be neutral, but you chose the Dark and me. This is who you are now.”

“You were there when I talked to my mother?” He nodded. “But how?’

“I don’t know,” he replied. “But I like you better when you’re like this. You’re more open. You let me in.” She opened her mouth to protest, but he kissed her instead. “Shush, Sere. I know what you’re thinking already. If you need to stay neutral, you can I won’t force that. Not unless you don’t chose me. Then I will force it.”

She didn’t say anything. Instead of being a sweet sentiment like it was supposed to be, she didn’t take it that way. Instead, it made her angry. He was basically telling her that he would love her no matter what she chose. Why couldn’t he have had that attitude back when it was Light against Dark? She didn’t help matters either when it came to that. But c’mon! Why was he being so calm about this now?

“But will it be enough?” Was the question that finally came out.

“What?”

“Will it be enough?” She repeated. “If I choose to stay neutral and choose you, will it be enough for you? I’ll never be as Dark as you wanted me to be.”

He looked at her for a few moments before he answered her question. “Even though you won’t be completely Dark, like me, it will be enough. I love you, Serenity.” He kissed her on the forehead before he rolled himself off of her. He wrapped himself around her back.

Within moments he was asleep.  

* * *

Although Endymion was peaceful in his slumber, Serenity couldn’t find peace. Her brain was running on overdrive. He said that she would be enough if she were neutral. It would be enough for him…but would it be enough for her? She had so many questions and she needed to think without his presence wrapped around her like a blanket. With ease she slipped out of his grasp and thought up clothes for herself since she didn’t know what happened to the ones she had on. Fully dressed in a black hi-lo skirt and a red top, she turned back and looked at her dark prince.

She hoped that she could figure this out soon that way she could be back and happy in his arms. With a silent sigh, she created a portal and disappeared.

When she reappeared, it was in front of the tree where she had engraved her and Mamoru’s initials. She had done it as a promise to herself that she would get him back from the Darkness. She had broken that promise to herself. She traced the letters and sighed. This was the root of the problem.

Serenity had been Light and when she learned that Endymion, the love of her life, was part of the Darkness she had to turn him back. When he put up resistance and then kept trying to turn her to the Dark her resolve kept strengthening. She didn’t know that there was a third option. Well, maybe hazily she did, but her moral compass wouldn’t let her take it until all other options had been exhausted. When she did finally give in and freely chose the Darkness, fate screwed her again. Not that she knew it. No, she didn’t figure it out until she had been so blissfully happy.

Now, because Prince Demando, that jerk, couldn’t leave well enough alone, she was neither Darkness nor Light. She was both. She was gray. But both sides wanted her to choose…

And she didn’t want to. Not if it meant that she could get the best of both worlds. Endymion wouldn’t push her if she chose to stay neutral. Just as long as she chose him – the person not the side – and it would be enough for him.

“I don’t want to choose!” She yelled out into the night. She was done making decisions. She wanted to lie about in bed with Endymion. She would stay neutral.

“Too bad for you, Serenity,” a cold voice said from the shadows. “I’m going to make you choose.” She whirled around and faced the asshole that had caused a lot of this to begin with.

“Demando,” she seethed. “You can’t make me choose.”

“Oh, I wouldn’t be so sure,” he replied with a smile. He walked out into the open with the hooded figure – Wiseman – floating at his side. There was a smile on his face. A smile that made Serenity shiver. Whatever it meant it couldn’t be good. “Do these look familiar?” He held out something that looked like sticks, but upon closer inspection she gasped.

In his hands were eight sticks all right. But they weren’t just sticks. They were her Senshi’s transformation pens, the root of all their Senshi powers and their lives.

“How?” She asked a frog in her throat. “They wouldn’t give those up without a fight.”

“You’re right, they wouldn’t,” he said and made a motion to Wiseman. His crystal ball glowed and a wave of shadows appeared. In a crystal container her worst dream was realized. All her Senshi, in their human forms, were battered and bruised and lying on top of the other. It looked like a mass grave. It was made even worse because the Shitennou were in there too.

But it still didn’t make sense. They were stronger than this fool and his floating corpse. She had felt their power up right before she had gone under.

“What did you threaten them with?” She asked.

“So smart, my dear. I threatened you. I told them that I would kill you if they didn’t lay down their pens. Quite an interesting thing these pens. Their life force is tied to them, right?” He didn’t wait for her to answer the question. He picked one out of the lot, before storing the other ones away. He threw it into one hand before throwing it to the other. “So easy to destroy your dear friends. All I have to do is…” He trailed off and began to bend it backward. It didn’t flex, but it caused its owner to awaken.

Makoto opened her eyes and let out a scream that chilled Serenity’s bones and caused everyone else to awaken. She fell to her knees as their pain overwhelmed her. “Stop it!” She screamed. “Stop it now!”

He let go and smiled at her. “See? Now, if you want them to live, choose my side and me. Choose Light and forsake Endymion.”

“You don’t get it, Demando. You are not the Light side anymore. If anything you’re Dark. Darker even than Endymion.”

“Excuse me, Your Highness? I don’t think I heard you right. Did you say I was _worse_ than Endymion?”

“I did.”

“How do you figure that?”

“You’re threatening my friends’ lives. At least Endymion only took them and turned them Dark. You. Are. Worse. Than. Endymion.” She emphasized each word and watched Demando’s expression preparing herself for the worst.

Wait. Was he _smiling_?

He was. He was smiling from ear to ear and his eyes were dancing with amusement. “Finally! That _was_ what I was aiming for. I figured you went for the bad guys, like Endymion. So I’ll just out bad him. So. Serenity, one last chance. Choose Dark and forsake Endymion or watch your friends die.” He stared her down and her gaze switched from his to her friends. They were watching all of this with their mouths open and they were shouting at her.

“Don’t do it, Serenity!”

But she couldn’t. She wouldn’t sacrifice their lives just so she wouldn’t have to choose. She walked over to their crystal container and put her hand on the surface. “I’m sorry,” she told them but dropped her voice low. If she was going to do this she had to tell them a way to stop it. To reverse what she was about to do. “Get to the moon and visit my mother’s prayer room. The dust should help you.”

She turned back around not seeing or hearing their complaints. _I’m sorry Endymion. I love you,_ she thought before she said the worst words she could say.

“I choose Dark and I forsake Endymion.” Demando smiled and threw the transformation pens on the ground just as the container the Senshi and the Shitennou were in disappeared. They didn’t get a chance to run to Usagi and tell her how dumb she was.

Her body was lifted into the air by black and purple ropes that encircled her. They began to whirl as on and she opened her mouth in a silent scream. Her brain felt like it was being torn apart by knifes. Her skin like it had been dipped in fire. She eventually went numb to the pain as a voice whispered in her brain, _it will all be over soon and then you’ll have everything_.

It seemed like hours, but it was only fifteen minutes before she was lowered back to the ground. When the bands of black and purple disappeared, Usagi was standing there in a black gown that almost looked like another skin. On her head was a black onyx crown and her lips were ruby red.

“Usagi?” The Senshi asked in unison. Nothing happened. Their princess didn’t even flinch.

“Princess Serenity?” Demando asked stepping forward. Her eyes opened, revealing black eyes and a black crescent moon appeared on her forehead. It was the smile though that sent chills through everyone’s spines. Her usually sweet smile was gone.

Her smile was now wicked.


End file.
